The Chosen One, Book I: Love Over Glory
by JL01
Summary: After finally becoming the official Pokemon Master at the age of 18, Ash Ketchum believes that his greatest dream in life has now been fulfilled...or so he thought.
1. The Price of Becoming a Master

**Story Summary: **After finally becoming the official Pokemon Master at the age of 18, Ash Ketchum believes that his greatest dream in life has now been fulfilled...or so he thought. - Pokeshipping.

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that there would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

**Please also take your time to read the subsequent Books, after finishing this story. :)**

**Note:** Text written in italics symbolizes the character(s') thoughts. Also in various times, the story will be written alternatively between first and third-person. Brackets with ((character name)'s POV) will be added to represent this. This was done, so that the more emotional moments which the characters experience could be expressed in a more emotional manner.

**Character Ages:** Ash (18), Misty (18, but slightly older than Ash), Brock (22), Lance (28). Other characters' ages will be mentioned in the respective chapters that they appear in.

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**The Chosen One, Book I**

**Love Over Glory**

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**Chapter 1**

**The Price of Becoming a Master**

**(Ash's POV)**

The deafening cheers of the crowd emanated from the stadium, as I walked through the tunnel leading to the challenger's side of the Kanto Indigo Plateau's grand arena. Although I did everything I could to calm my nerves leading up to the match, I couldn't help the pounding of my heart which grew only louder and louder with each passing moment. Each step I took brought back memories of all the trials, challenges and memories that I had faced and came to cherish in the past eight years, leading up to this final showdown with Lance for the title of Champion. But above all else in my mind were the faces of two people who were the closest to my heart, and whom I knew would be watching me right now as I approached the exit of the tunnel. The first was my mother, and the other was my best friend whom I had dearly missed for every day we were apart: Misty.

My thoughts were broken as soon as I heard the loud noise of the arena speakers, which blared with the sound of the announcer's voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, I now give you the challenger for the title of Kanto Champion and Pokémon Master…_Ash Ketchum!_"

With that cue, I finally walked out of the semi-darkness of the tunnel and into the brightness of the stadium, as a white light engulfed me. All of a sudden, the boisterous cheering of the crowd seemed to die down until I could no longer hear it, yet they were still visibly shouting in a lively manner. The light kept growing in strength, until my vision showed me not the stadium, but surroundings which were a pure, blank white.

"Huh? What's going on?" I panicked slightly, shocked by what my eyes were showing me. After a few nervous seconds, the environment around me suddenly changed into a beautiful green meadow, where white rose petals were in bloom, filling the air and giving a sweet aroma as a gentle wind blew eastward.

Then, from the distance, I heard the soft singing of an angelic voice which I found strangely familiar, and so I walked with little confidence over a small hill to see who it was. My mouth gaped slightly as I laid my eyes upon a figure who wore a beautiful white dress, with short shoulder ornaments reminiscent of the elegant wings of a swan. I found myself entranced by the beautiful singing voice of the girl who had her back turned to me, her hands placed over one another on her heart, but still couldn't bring my eyes up to see the back of her head. When I finally did, I thought my heart had stopped beating.

Long, elegant strands of fiery orange hair lay over her back, blown gently by the wind. Her head was tilted slightly upwards, as if she was looking up to the heavens. She slowly turned around to face me, her hands still over her heart as she looked at me with deep cerulean eyes and an angelic smile which I had missed for many years.

"M…Misty?" I murmured, finding it near impossible to speak.

"Hi, Ash," she replied tenderly. "It's been a long time."

Instinctively and without realizing it, I rushed up to her and held her in a warm, embracing hug. "I missed you so much…" I sobbed softly.

"I missed you too, Ash…more than you could ever know," she cried into my chest, before pulling away after awhile and looking me in the eye. "But you _have _to go, now."

"I don't ever wanna let go of you, Mist," I said, holding her shoulder. "I've missed you _so much _during these last few years we were apart, and I can't _bear _to leave you again..."

"…I'm sorry, Ash…" she remorsefully whispered, as she began to slip away from my grasp. To my shock, she was now floating away into the skies, shedding tears which were carried to me by the white rose petals blown by the wind.

"No! Don't go, Misty! Don't leave me!" I cried, reaching my arm upwards.

Misty looked at me with sorrowful emotions which mirrored mine, before smiling at me. "I'll always be here for you, Ash…I'll always be here, waiting for you to come back to me…"

I felt utterly crushed on the inside, as I saw her disappear completely into the distance. It felt as if my life itself had left, along with her. But why did I suddenly start feeling this way? I've always thought of Misty as a best friend who was irreplaceable in my life, but now…I was not sure. Did she now mean something more than that to me? Both May and Dawn are treasured former traveling companions to me, but Misty…Misty was something else, but I couldn't figure out just _what_.

Locked in thought, I had even forgotten that my arm was still extended into the air, as a new voice began to call out to me from a place where I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

_"Ash! Ash! Earth to Ash, are you there?"_ it called out. All of a sudden, my surroundings warped and distorted incessantly, before reverting into the arena of the Indigo Plateau. The roar of the crowd bellowed from every side and corner of the stadium, as I looked left to see who was calling me.

"Huh? Brock?" I murmured.

"The match is about to begin, and the referee's _waiting_ for you! Why are you still waving your hand in the air for?" he shouted to make himself heard above the noise. Pikachu was also standing next to me, tugging at my jeans for attention.

"Oh…sorry," I said, repositioning myself on the center of the podium. Lance was standing on the opposite podium, waiting patiently with his arms folded. The field which lay before us was the most diverse and unique one I had ever seen: there were four distinct 'areas' occupying each corner – the top-left was in the style of a barren canyon with multiple spires of rock, the top-right appeared to be a tropical jungle abundant in trees, shrubs and grass, the bottom-right a large oceanic body of water with several small 'islands' dotted throughout, and the bottom-left corner styled in a classic, standard Pokémon League battle pitch. At last, when all my preparations were made, I turned my hat around, readying myself for the greatest battle of my life. "Mom…Misty…this one's for you…"

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"This will be a full six-on-six battle," the referee stated. "The challenger is permitted to change his Pokémon only once, following the defeat of any one of the Elite Four Leader's Pokémon. The Leader is not permitted to change his Pokémon, with the exception of his current Pokémon being unable to battle. Any Pokémon – including flying Pokémon – which crosses the boundary line on any side will be eliminated. Now…challenger, are you ready?" he looked at me.

"Mmhm," I nodded, prompting the referee to look over to Lance.

"Leader, are you ready?"

"Yes," Lance answered coolly.

"Then let the battle…" the referee lifted his flag straight up into the air, before bring it down swiftly, "_begin_!"

"Kingdra, you're up first!" Lance shouted as he released his Pokémon into the body of water where it was most free to move.

"Pika?" Pikachu peered up at me, insisting that he was the one who was most suitable for taking on Kingdra as he was an electric type. I shook my head, giving him the sign that he had to wait a little longer.

"Staraptor! I choose you!" I yelled, releasing him into the air. He let out a triumphant cry as he soared up, looking down at his opponent who was waiting observantly from the water. Many people in the audience leaned forward from the back of their seats, intrigued from seeing a Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. "Alright, start things off with a Whirlwind attack!"

With a perpetual flurry of his wings, Staraptor sent a rush of wind at Lance's Kingdra, causing the water around it to whirl around incessantly. Kingdra took cover by diving underwater, waiting until the gusts died down before rising again to the surface to receive orders from its trainer.

"Kingdra, Hydro Pump!" Lance ordered. Kingdra immediately unleashed a steady stream of high-pressure water at Staraptor, who dodged and flew around it with relative ease, while closing in on Kingdra.

"Staraptor, get up close and give it an Aerial Ace attack!" I shouted. With a caw of acknowledgment, Staraptor swept across and over the water at a searing pace, with Kingdra dead in his sights. But just as Staraptor was about to make contact with his opponent, Kingdra ducked and dove underwater, just in time to dodge the attack.

"Kingdra dodges the attack just in time!" the announcer's voice cried out from the loudspeakers, firing up the crowd with excitement. "It seems that Kingdra has the advantage of cover! What will Ash Ketchum and Staraptor do now?"

I observed that the water itself was not so deep, given that its color was a relatively medium shade of blue, in terms of darkness. Paying close attention, both Staraptor and I could _just _make out the shape of Kingdra, who was shifting quickly in the water in order to get in a good position to launch another Hydro Pump.

"Keep on him, Staraptor! Don't lose sight of him!" I yelled out. Staraptor continued to patrol the air cautiously, preparing to strike as soon as Kingdra came up to the surface of the water. And after a moment of waiting, a small surge of water began to amass on the southern part of the water, which Staraptor indeed caught sight of. "_Now_, Staraptor! Another Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor immediately zoomed in to where Kingdra was surfacing out of the water, striking the Pokémon firm and true on the head with his Aerial Ace, temporarily disorientating him. "Follow it up with _another _Aerial Ace, then finish it with Brave Bird!"

Staraptor flew in again at a rapid speed, this time knocking Kingdra on the chin, spiraling in midair to reverse his direction. He then began to glow blue, signifying that he was about to use Brave Bird. Lance was still standing with a relatively calm and composed expression on his face as Staraptor dove in a freefall down towards Kingdra, slamming past the side of its face and knocking it out. Following the attack, blue sparks trickled from Staraptor's wings, causing him to wince slightly at the recoil damage he received.

"Kingdra is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Staraptor!" the referee held his flag up in the air.

"What a way to execute a finishing move, folks! Staraptor has given a display of unbelievable speed and skill to take the first round!" the announcer cried out emphatically amidst a boisterous roar from the crowd. "But stay in your seats, folks, as Lance is about to unleash his next Pokémon!"

"Aerodactyl, it's _your _turn!" Lance shouted as he released the flying Pokémon. His Aerodactyl was notably a slight bit larger than the usual, spreading its wings out wide to make its presence known.

"Staraptor, return!" I recalled him back into his Pokéball. "Good work out there. Take a breather, for now. Charizard, I choose _you_!" I released the ferocious dragon in Staraptor's place as he roared savagely at the Aerodactyl – one of the species which he most despised ever since that day he evolved from a Charmeleon all those years ago, during a battle with another Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl, Wing attack!" Lance ordered. Without any hesitation, Aerodactyl lunged in Charizard's direction with violent momentum.

"Charizard, counter with _your _wing attack!" I shouted. With eyes of burning pride, Charizard soared right at Aerodactyl, and the two great flying Pokémon locked wings with a titanic clash of force. The two of them began to freefall together, too distracted by each other to flap their wings to stay airborne.

"Aerodactyl, Thunder Fang, now!" Lance commanded, and to both me and Charizard's surprise, Aerodactyl turned his head sideways and bit onto Charizard's neck with vicious fangs charged with lightning. Instinctively, Charizard wrested him off by shaking his body vehemently, before driving Aerodactyl away with a smack of his tail. He followed up with a Flamethrower aimed directly at Aerodactyl's face, and used this temporary moment of distraction to distance himself from his foe.

"Dragonbreath, Charizard!" I shouted, and Charizard shot a massive stream of green and yellow at Aerodactyl; the power he put into it showing that he clearly wanted to end this contest quickly and decisively, so as to save his energy for the opponent he had been waiting for all along: Lance's Dragonite.

"Aerodactyl, counter with Ancientpower!" Lance hastily yelled, and Aerodactyl unleashed a large, concentrated ball of white energy at Charizard's Dragonbreath attack, stopping it in its tracks and creating a temporary stalemate. After a few seconds, the colossal build-up of energy was too much, causing a large explosion and a thick cloud of dark smoke. But then, even without its trainer's command, Aerodactyl came flying through the smoke, his head glowing white with an Iron Head attack.

"Charizard, quick! Use Steel Wing!" I ordered in a panic, and Charizard responded just in time, thrusting a glowing wing against Aerodactyl. He was sent flying off a moderate distance, however, barely managing to stay within the boundary of the arena's line.

"Finish it with a Take Down!" Lance pointed his finger at Charizard, and his Aerodactyl obeyed, adjusting its body to swoop towards Charizard, like a vulture who had just found its prey.

"Charizard, remember what we practiced before! Now's the time to use it!" I called up to Charizard, who nodded back at me. His wings glowed again in preparation for another Steel Wing attack as he soared towards Aerodactyl, who was now coming straight at him.

With less than thirty yards to spare, I shouted at Charizard again. "_Now_, Charizard! Use Fire Spin!"

"Grooar!" he responded, and fired a spiral of searing hot flames which surrounded Aerodactyl like a building caught in a tornado. Through the small gaps of the twister, I could see that Aerodactyl was visibly confused and concerned, looking all around him to see whether Charizard was coming for him.

"Finish it off with Seismic Toss!" I yelled, and Charizard flew right into the twister and hit Aerodactyl's jaw with an uppercut-style punch, stunning him before he grabbed hold of him and began circling the air for the beginning of his Seismic Toss attack. As Charizard began his rapid descent towards a great pillar of rock in the top-left corner of the field, the flames around him and Aerodactyl engulfed them, making them look like a ball of flame which was falling through the air. Then, with a violent impact, he flung Aerodactyl onto the rock pillar, veering upwards following his attack.

"Aerodactyl is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Charizard!" the referee announced, after seeing Aerodactyl unconscious deep within the cracked rock formation. Charizard stood stalwartly on the ground, roaring and breathing flames victoriously as the crowd cheered loudly.

"_Wow_, folks! Ash's Charizard is quite something! We might have a prospective 'match of the decade', should it go up against Lance's Dragonite!" the announcer said.

After recalling his Aerodactyl, Lance reached for his third Pokéball, releasing the Pokémon into the water. "Gyarados, prepare for battle!"

"Charizard, return!" I recalled him, looking at his Pokéball. "Take a good rest, buddy – you're gonna need it to face Dragonite later on. Gliscor, I choose _you_!" I released my next Pokémon, who looked very lively as he flexed his wings in the air in preparation for the battle ahead.

"Gyarados, use Flamethrower!" Lance cried out, taking no chances due to Gliscor's speed, opting for an attack with a wide trajectory.

"Quick, Gliscor, use your Screech attack!" I shouted. Gliscor then fired several beams of ear-splitting sounds at Gyarados, who immediately ceased fire and began to toss about in pain. "Alright, now follow up with a Sand Attack!"

"Gliscor!" he nodded, zooming towards the canyon section of the field and blowing thick clouds of sand and dust at Gyarados, obscuring its vision while it was still raging about.

"Now go in using a Stone Edge, and then follow up with an X-Scissor!"

Gliscor obeyed, and sent a wave of summoned rocks at Gyarados, pummeling it on its head as he drew closer for an X-Scissor.

"Gyarados, use Twister to clear the sand away!" Lance ordered. By now, Gyarados had almost fully recovered from the Screech attack, and was kept occupied only by the sand around him. Furiously, he lurched his body upwards and released a twisting flurry of air all around him, dissipating the sand and enabling him to see Gliscor closing in on him. "Dragon Tail, Gyarados!"

With a fear-inspiring thrust of his body, Gyarados lifted his tail out of the water, sending a torrent of water with it at Gliscor due to its sheer mass and momentum. Gliscor was pounded with high volumes of water, before he was punished with a powerful hit from Gyarados' tail, which knocked him out directly as he was sent spinning to my feet.

"Gliscor is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Gyarados!" the referee held his other flag up into the air.

"What a colossal display of sheer power and endurance from Gyarados! Which of his Pokémon will Ash Ketchum send out next?" the announcer cried out.

"Pikachu, you ready, buddy?" I looked down at him.

"Pi!" he gave a confident nod as he dashed forward in a battle-ready stance.

"Alright, then, give a Thunderbolt, then use agility to close in on the shoreline!" I shouted, pointing towards Lance's Gyarados. Pikachu unleashed a jolt of electricity immediately, using the time that Gyarados took to jerk his head sideways to dodge the attack, to close in on the massive blue sea dragon. After readjusting his body shape from dodging Pikachu's Thunderbolt, Gyarados rashly fired a Hydro Pump straight at Pikachu, without even listening for orders from a nervous-looking Lance.

"…gotcha…" I clicked my fingers. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Gyarados' Hydro Pump!"

"Pi!" he quickly nodded as he prepared his attack. "Piiika-Chuuuu!"

Gyarados was too slow to react in time to withdraw his attack, and was soon enough electrocuted as Pikachu's Thunderbolt was conducted by its Hydro Pump, right at its body. Although he was seriously shaken, Gyarados nonetheless shook himself violently to regain his senses.

"Gyarados, don't use _any _water-type moves!" Lance ordered as Gyarados reluctantly agreed. "Use Dragon Dance!"

Gyarados then began to twirl and turn about in the water, causing it to slosh here and there, sending great volumes of it at Pikachu. After he had finished its eerie yet powerful dance, Gyarados looked menacingly at Pikachu, clearly irritated by the previous Thunderbolt which had caused him moderate harm.

"Now fire a Flamethrower!" Lance bellowed, and Gyarados shot a searing breath of flames which followed Pikachu's trail as he ran for his life, the fire burning all the grass and leaves around him. Gyarados didn't look like he would get tired anytime soon – I had to do something.

_'Oh, **brother**…why am I so **slow **in realizing such things?_' I thought as I slapped my forehead, before shouting out to Pikachu. "Pikachu, use Thunder on the _water_!"

Pikachu heard my command, and leapt into the air, discharging a mighty current of electricity all around the face of the water. Gyarados jerked and twisted about in sheer agony, before collapsing heavily onto the surface of the water, creating a gigantic splash which Pikachu just managed to avoid by running behind a palm tree, panting in relief that his electric sacs didn't get sodden.

"Gyarados is unable to continue! The winner of this round is Pikachu!" the referee announced with his flag high in the air.

"And yet _another _of Lance's Pokémon goes down!" the announcer cried emphatically. "Ladies and gentlemen, we just may be in for a _rout _of Lance's Pokémon by Ash Ketchum! Will this mean the end for Lance's long-standing unbeaten run?"

"Gyarados, it's _your _turn!" Lance shouted as he released yet another Gyarados into the water, which I anticipated to be his Red Gyarados which helped us contain Kyogre and Groudon, years ago. My thoughts were confirmed as the white shape materialized, revealing Lance's famed Red Gyarados.

"Heh, this'll be easy," I chuckled. "You ready for another round, Pikachu?"

"Pi-ka!" he nodded in a lively manner, hardly looking fatigued.

"Alright then, give another Thunderbo-" I pointed to Gyarados, before I was cut off by Lance.

"Roar, Gyarados!" Lance said rather calmly with crossed arms. With a savage bellow, Gyarados terrified the life out of Pikachu with eyes of pure dominance and anger, making him do the unthinkable – retreat back into his lightning-symbol Pokéball. At that instant, I looked down to my Pokébelt in panic, and almost pulled Pikachu's ball out to send him out again, when I remembered the rule regarding Pokémon withdrawal and deployment.

"Pikachu is now designated as a 'withdrawn' Pokémon, following Gyarados' Roar attack. The challenger's next Pokémon _must _remain in battle until it, or Lance's Red Gyarados falls. Gyarados is also forbidden to use its Roar attack in succession," the referee declared.

_'Well, at least I've got **some **comfort by hearing that,' _I thought, relieved at the fact that Lance couldn't order his Gyarados to use Roar again against my next Pokémon. Deciding that Pikachu needed some time to recover from the trauma of Roar, I picked out another Pokéball. "Sceptile, I choose _you_!"

"Sce~p," he huffed coolly, looking with great composure at the behemoth of a Gyarados before him.

"Sceptile, use your Quick Attack to get onto Gyarados' back!" I yelled. He immediately began running towards Gyarados with searing pace, leaping off the foot of the shore to make contact with Gyarados, before…

"Gyarados, submerge underwater!" Lance ordered. Gyarados quickly dove underwater, leaving Sceptile stranded and momentarily flailing nervously about in the water, before regaining his composure and looking around for Gyarados. The red dragon used its speed in the water to swim around Sceptile in a circling motion, causing a whirlpool to form and trap Sceptile within it.

"Get out of there, Sceptile!" I desperately called out to him, but my voice couldn't reach him as he was underwater. When he finally surfaced for a brief moment, I took the opportunity. "Sceptile, use your Leaf Blade repeatedly! Drive Gyarados out of the water!"

Sceptile looked at me momentarily as he was taken back down into the water by Gyarados. A few seconds later, however, the both of them surfaced, showing a pained Gyarados being hit rapidly all over its body by a flurry of Sceptile's Leaf Blade attacks enhanced by Agility, with speed so great that it was almost impossible to keep my eyes up with him.

"Gyarados, snap out of it! Crash into the water again to put him off balance!" Lance shouted with both his fists clenched and held apart from one another. Gyarados attempted to take Sceptile down with him once more, before I timely intervened.

"Sceptile, quickly jump onto an island and use Bullet Seed!"

Sceptile did as he was told and escaped Gyarados' clutches just in time, taking a temporary breather on one of the small islands which dotted the water zone. He then shot several seeds from his mouth at Gyarados, but stopped when he saw that his opponent was once again submerged in the water. At first, Sceptile waited patiently for Gyarados to resurface, but when he saw that the water dragon wasn't, he leapt into the water without my order, as I felt a wave of nervousness come about me.

"Sceptile!" I cried out, gripping onto the railing of the podium while I took a closer look at the water. I could see green flashes here and there, showing Sceptile's continued use of Leaf Blade on Gyarados. After a nervy thirty seconds which felt more like a minute, Sceptile broke the surface of the water, leaping gracefully through the air and landing lightly on the shore with his back turned to the direction of his opponent, who came floating up unconscious to the surface not long after. Everyone in the stadium – me included – looked on with disbelief at Sceptile's magnificent victory.

"The Red Gyarados is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Sceptile!" the referee said as they crowd went wild. Pikachu now came back out of the confinement of his dreaded Pokéball, looking refreshed and free from the effects of Roar, now that Gyarados had been defeated.

"_Wow_, folks! How did _that _turn out to be? Did you see anything? Because I sure didn't!" the announcer joked as the light surrounding Gyarados' picture on the electronic battle board went dark. "Lance is now down to his last two Pokémon – one of which is, of course, his famed Dragonite! But Ash Ketchum now has _five _Pokémon left to choose from! Will the might of Lance's two remaining Pokémon suffice to bring him victory? Only _time_ will tell!"

"Tyranitar, show your power and might!" Lance called him out of his Pokéball. Upon his release onto the canyon-quarter of the field, Tyranitar let out a monstrous howl which seemed to shake the entire stadium, before glaring at Sceptile.

"Sceptile, are you alright to continue?" I asked him, receiving a grin and a thumbs-up in response. "Alright, then, _go_! Use Bullet Seed!"

Sceptile shot a single round of around twelve Bullet Seeds in grapeshot fashion, so as to preserve his energy compared to firing a steady stream of seeds. Lance immediately relayed an order to his Tyranitar, to counter. "Tyranitar, use Earthquake, then follow up with Stone Edge!"

Tyranitar then slammed his feet one after another on the ground, shaking the entire field and causing some stone spires to crack and shatter, as well as taking out one of the stadium lights' bulbs. Sceptile was thrown badly off balance, scrambling to find his footing again. The audience all gripped onto their seats, frightened of Tyranitar's massive power. Once he saw Sceptile struggling to keep balanced, Tyranitar fired a ruthless barrage of Stone Edge at him, causing much damage.

"Sceptile, use Agility! Stay off the ground for as long as possible, until the Earthquake dies down!" I shouted. After avoiding the onrush of rocks, Sceptile began to take medium-height leaps darting from side to side, in order to avoid any potential attacks from Tyranitar while the Earthquake subsided.

Biting my lower lip, I knew deep down that if Sceptile kept his distance from Tyranitar, he would continue to get pounded by Earthquake and Stone Edge attacks. But if he closed in for a melee, Tyranitar's superior strength and endurance would eventually outlast him, despite his skill and speed with Leaf Blade. And Sceptile wouldn't fare well against Lance's Dragonite, which could both fly swiftly and use fire attacks, so I had to hope for the best that he could take down Tyranitar, upon which I could recall him for later.

"Sceptile, use a combination of Leaf Blade and Bullet Seed to take on Tyranitar! Don't fully commit yourself to either ranged or melee combat, but stick to using a combination of both!" I shouted at him. He shot a changing pattern of standard stream-line and grapeshot Bullet Seed attacks, which all went straight for Tyranitar, before he charged forward with the blades on his arms glowing white.

"Protect," Lance calmly said with his arms crossed. Just as Sceptile leapt up into the air over his Bullet Seeds with his blades outstretched, Tyranitar created a shield of energy which covered his front and head, nullifying both the Bullet Seed attacks and stopping Sceptile dead in his tracks in midair. Tyranitar timed the deactivation of his Protect perfectly, bringing Sceptile down onto him and holding him by the throat with an iron grip.

"Quick, Sceptile, use Bullet Seed!" I hurriedly waved my arm. Sceptile then sent another Bullet Seed grapeshot right at Tyranitar's face, momentarily stunting the heavy Pokémon's vision and allowing him to escape his grasp. Tyranitar then swung his arms about madly, which Sceptile easily dodged as he leapt back a couple of feet. "Now use Agility, close in and use Leaf Blade, then finish with a Leaf Storm!"

Sceptile ran at Tyranitar with lightning speed, blades at the ready. But he was surprised as Tyranitar reacted in time, to counter with a heavy Mega Punch which hit him right in the gut, winding him significantly.

"Sceptile! Hang in there!" I shouted in panic. But it was too late – Tyranitar pushed him away with brutal power, knocking him onto the ground before finishing him off with a powerful Hyper Beam, all without Lance having to say a word.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Tyranitar!" the referee pointed his flag.

I looked down at my Pokébelt, pondering on which Pokémon I should send out next. Although Pikachu looked at me with determined eyes, I knew that Tyranitar's endurance was too great for Pikachu to take on, even if he used his Iron Tail effectively. I had to keep Charizard and Glalie in reserve to take on Lance's Dragonite, so I had pretty much no choice but to go with Staraptor again.

"Staraptor, I choose _you_!" I released him from his Pokéball. "Use Whirlwind!"

Staraptor took advantage of the canyon that Tyranitar was standing in, blowing dust all around him and into his eyes. Tyranitar painfully waved his arms about, momentarily looking as helpless as a Magikarp on land. "Go in for an Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor flew in a long, curving arc around Tyranitar, to strike the back of his head. "Tyranitar! Behind you!" Lance yelled, but it was no use – Tyranitar's lumbering physique prevented him from turning quickly to react to Staraptor's oncoming attack, and the sand was still raging about his eyes. Staraptor's Aerial Ace dealt a critical blow to Tyranitar, even going as far as to confuse him due to the impact.

"Keep it up, Staraptor! Keep using Aerial Ace and Wing Attack!" I ordered. Staraptor continued to fly to and fro, knocking Tyranitar with strong blows with each swoop. But after five or so attacks, Tyranitar snapped out of confusion, looking intently to prepare for the next attack.

"Tyranitar! Use Giga Impact!" Lance yelled, and Tyranitar covered himself with gold and purple-colored energy in preparation to retaliate.

"Finish it off with a Brave Bird!" I pointed straight at Tyranitar. Staraptor soared high into the sky, before dropping down at violent speed, his entire body glowing blue. The resulting explosion of the contact between the two Pokémon was nothing short of colossal – it took more than a minute for all the smoke and dust to subside, before revealing that both Pokémon had fainted from the blast.

"Both Tyranitar and Staraptor are unable to battle! This round is a draw!" the referee held both his hands up into the air.

"You did great out there, Staraptor," I smiled at his Pokéball after I recalled him. "Now take a good, long rest – you deserve it."

"What a _blast_, folks!" the commentator spoke jubilantly. "Not one, but _both _Pokémon have been rendered unable to battle, following that collision! It's now down to this – Lance is now down to his final Pokémon, Dragonite, while Ash Ketchum still has three Pokémon left able to battle! Will Dragonite's power enable it to pull through? Let's wait and watch!"

"It's all down to _you_, Dragonite!" Lance cried, pulling out his final Pokéball and releasing his most powerful Pokémon. "Show your power and dominance!"

I automatically drew out Glalie's Pokéball – I had brought him for just this matchup. "Glalie, I choose _you_!"

Glalie chuckled mischievously for awhile after coming out, before assuming a more serious stance as he saw Dragonite looming in the air and hovered upwards until both of them were at an even level.

"Ice Beam, Glalie!" I shouted. Glalie then shot a stream of ice directly at Dragonite.

"Flamethrower!" Lance cried in response. Dragonite replied fire by shooting a searing onrush of flames at Glalie, literally melting away the Ice Beam fired by him.

"Dodge it, and use Ice Beam again!"

Glalie shifted upwards and shot another Ice Beam at Dragonite from above the flames, catching him off guard and hitting him dead center on the stomach. Dragonite's dual Dragon and Flying type made Glalie's Ice Beam all the more deadly, as he winced and twisted in pain before retreating a few feet. Glalie and Dragonite continued their duel of Ice Beams and Flamethrowers, until Lance reintervened.

"Close the distance between you two, Dragonite! Go in close for melee combat using your Fire Punch and Dragon Claw attacks!" he ordered. I bit my lower lip, worried for Glalie – although he was doing fine up till now in ranged combat, he was at a severe disadvantage up close, as Dragonite had claws and he did not.

"Keep away from him, Glalie! Use your speed and cunning, and you'll win!" I encouraged him to fight on. But it proved fruitless – Dragonite's superior stamina and willpower eventually allowed him to gain the edge over Glalie, who began to tire and waver, slowing down considerably.

"Go in for another round of Fire Punch and Dragon Claw attacks!" Lance shouted. Dragonite began chipping away at Glalie, landing several Fire Punches and Dragon Claws which didn't hit him directly, but nevertheless scratched him considerably. Now exhausted, Glalie was at the mercy of Dragonite.

"Glalie! Get out of there!" I yelled nervously, but it was too late.

"Finish with a Flamethrower!"

Dragonite gripped hold of Glalie who no longer had the energy to move, before breathing a scorching fan of flames right at his face, knocking him out.

"Glalie is unable to battle! This round goes to Dragonite!" the referee pointed.

"Would you believe it, folks?" the commentator said. "Despite its double-weakness to the Ice type, Dragonite has not only beaten, but _dominated _Ash's Glalie! Which Pokémon will Ash send out next – his Charizard, or his Pikachu?"

Given Dragonite's clear air superiority over Pikachu had I sent him out, I opted to send Charizard out, instead. "Charizard, I choose _you_!" I released him.

"Grooar!" he howled furiously with a Flamethrower, refreshed from his break and raring to go. His eyes burned with a fire as he saw Dragonite waiting for him in the air.

"Give it a Flamethrower, Charizard!" I called out. Charizard leapt high into the sky off the ground, with a fiery breath blazing about.

"Use Dragon Rage, then follow up with Dragon Claw!" Lance stretched his arm out to Dragonite. The Dragon Rage attack pierced through the fan of flames emitted by Charizard, giving him just a split second to narrowly dodge it as Dragonite came in, claws at the ready.

"Use _your _Dragon Claw, Charizard!" I reacted quickly. Charizard and Dragonite then locked themselves in a titanic clash of claws and fists, until Lance chose to use a trick he had up his sleeve.

"Aqua Tail, now!" the dragon master commanded. Dragonite then stuck its tail out at Charizard's face, turning it around and around while water spat out from it and onto Charizard. Charizard angrily slammed his tail into Dragonite's face in response, charring him by releasing a sudden rush of fire from it. The two dragons then broke apart, hovering about twenty feet away from each other before their rivalry caused them both to charge at one another, without even receiving commands from either me or Lance.

The two of them charged and collided into each other constantly, flying past each other while committing heavy blows like combatants in a jousting contest. For more than ten minutes, neither dragon obeyed either of us, in a shocking turn of events. Only when they stopped for another breather did we have a chance to give them new commands.

"Charizard, use Dragonbreath, then go in for a Steel Wing!" I shouted. Charizard did as he was told, flying towards Dragonite with silver wings, while shooting a heated Dragonbreath at him. Dragonite stayed in place, however, looking composed and immovable as if he were a rock. But just as Charizard's attack was about to make a hit, Lance called out to Dragonite once again.

"Dodge, and use Thunder Wave!"

Dragonite flew up and over Charizard, veering away from the Dragonbreath's path. Charizard looked up at Dragonite from the corner of his eye, helpless to prevent what happened next: with a jolt of lightning, he was immediately paralysed, and his movement severely hampered.

"Now use Brick Break, and finish with a Dragon Rush!" Lance pointed, and Dragonite brought a glowing fist right on top of Charizard's head, sending him spiralling down to the ground. He then dove straight down at Charizard like a drill into a plank of wood, as his body was surrounded with a blue and white orb. With a mighty crash, Charizard was incapacitated, managing only to look at Pikachu from the corner of his eye and give him a hopeful smile before fainting.

"Charizard is unable to battle. The winner of this round is Dragonite!" the referee held up his flag.

"What a turn of events!" the commentator said enthusiastically. "Both Lance and Ash are now down to their final Pokémon! Will Pikachu be able to stand up to the might of Dragonite? Will Dragonite be able to continue, after its excruciating battle against two of Ash's Pokémon? Let's just wait and see!"

"You did your best out there, buddy," I retrieved Charizard and placed my hand over his Pokéball. "I couldn't have asked for more. Now take a good, long rest – you can trust me and Pikachu," I said, before looking down at Pikachu. "You ready, buddy?"

"Pika!" he said determinedly, taking to the field.

"As soon as the match starts, make a beeline for the canyon section, using Agility. You can take some cover from Dragonite's attacks, there," I said to him, receiving a nod in reply. I removed my hat and chucked it to the side, fully focused on the battle which was to come.

"Let the final battle…" the referee held his hands up in the air, before bring them down with a swift motion. "…_begin_!"

"Go for it, Pikachu!" I yelled, and Pikachu ran towards the canyon with lightning speed, dashing through the standard Pokémon League pitch.

"Use Dragon Rage!" Lance ordered, and Dragonite swooped down and started to chase Pikachu from the air, firing a series of repeated energy balls that rained down at him.

"Use Thunderbolt to keep him away, Pikachu!" I told him, and Pikachu shocked Dragonite with a bolt of electricity, temporarily stunning him and keeping him off his tail. Pikachu and Dragonite now seemed to be caught up in a game of cat-and-mouse, but with the cat replaced by a dragon instead. A Dragon Rage ball then went dangerously close to hitting Pikachu directly, thankfully only throwing him off balance for a split second before he quickly recovered and continued running. As Pikachu made his way into the canyon, Dragonite began to destroy rock after rock, becoming increasingly annoyed at Pikachu's speed and agility.

Three minutes later, Dragonite's frustration was now also apparent in Lance, who shouted another command at him. "Dragonite, use Dragon Rage! Burn up every inch of the field!"

_'It's not looking good for Pikachu'_, I thought. '_Sooner or later, Lance's Dragonite is gonna melt all the rocks on the field, leaving Pikachu wide open for a direct attack.'_

It was now or never. Pikachu was already on the verge of tiring, after dodging wave after wave of his opponent's relentless waves of fiery attacks. The vast majority of the rocks in the canyon that still remained intact after taking a hammering from Tyranitar's Earthquake attacks were now either blown up or melting due to the extreme heat of Dragon Rage, with hardly any proper cover remaining for Pikachu to take advantage of. I had to finish this here and now.

"Here goes nothing," I spoke through gritted teeth. "Pikachu, run as fast as you can to the highest rock formation on the field!"

"Pi!"

Pikachu darted to the highest point of rock he could see on the field, racing like he never did before as he constantly dodged Dragonite's merciless wave of attacks. He was on the verge of approaching the rock, when Lance gave another order to his Dragonite.

"Dragonite, use Dragonbreath to destroy that high rock! Now!"

As Dragonite began charging up to release his attack, Pikachu's expression grew into one of desperation, as he knew his chances of reaching that rock was drawing slimmer by the second. But still, he knew that a _slim _chance of winning this match was better than none. With his last ounces of strength, he raced towards the foot of the rock to perform the leap which would propel him towards his foe; the world around him quickly turning green as a powerful Dragonbreath came hurling towards him and the rock he was dashing towards. But it seemed to be too late for him, as Dragonite's attack made contact with the rock, shattering it into mere fragments.

"Pikachuuuuu!" I yelled in fear. The amount of smoke created as a result of Dragonite's massive attack seemed to never clear out. The audience were also as silent as a graveyard, all looking to spot Pikachu. My hopes deteriorated even further, as I couldn't hear Pikachu's voice from under what would surely be nothing more than a pile of rubble after that blast. Tears started to roll down my face, but it was not from the prospect of losing this match, which I dreamed of and worked so ever hard for since I first started on my journey: It was the fear of losing Pikachu, my best friend and companion in the whole world, who had always been there for me to count on during times of need.

Several seconds had passed, and yet no sound of Pikachu came from the rocks. Dragonite then gave out a powerful howl, proudly declaring itself as the victor. With its boastfully proud roar, he seemed to simply shrug off the numerous bruises and black spots on his body from Pikachu's powerful Thunderbolt attacks which caused him great frustration throughout the entire match, not to mention the hits he took from Glalie and Charizard.

The sunlight glared onto the pitch, as the smoke soon subsided. But Pikachu was nowhere to be seen... Where could he be? I scanned the pitch with my eyes with frantic desperation, hoping dearly that I would see his buddy again. I looked up at the sky to look angrily at Dragonite, but almost immediately backed my face down as Dragonite was hovering directly below the radiant light of the sun. Losing hope, I stared down with both my fists and teeth clenched, refusing to accept the fact that I may never see Pikachu again.

_'Dragonite…' _I thought. '_You better not have killed my friend with that attack…if you did…I'll never forgive you…'_

More time passed, yet Pikachu was nowhere to be seen. I hung my head in sorrow as Lance looked over to the announcer, who now held his flag in the air.

"Pikachu has not arisen from the pitch, and it is assumed that it is unable to battle. The winner of this match is-"

*Bzzzt*

I froze in shock from the sound of the charging of electricity. But where could it be coming from? Pikachu was nowhere to be found on the ground…but that could only mean that he could be in…

_The air_...To everyone's surprise, Pikachu had somehow managed to dodge Dragonite's savage Dragonbreath, and cling onto Dragonite's back! Far too focused on the outcome of his attack, Dragonite had been oblivious to the presence of Pikachu, who was now clinging onto his back for dear life, all the while charging electricity for one final, devastating attack. The crowd roared back into a state of sheer excitement, eagerly anticipating a thrilling end to the battle.

"No! Dragonite, behind you! On your back!" Lance cried out. With a sharp jerk of his head, Dragonite could just barely see Pikachu from the corner of his eye, and consequently started to panic.

It was useless. No matter how hard Dragonite tried to turn his head around to aim a flamethrower at Pikachu, he was simply not flexible enough to do so. When that had failed, he desperately attempted to shake Pikachu off his back by flying in circles, still to no avail. And all this time, Pikachu kept charging more power and energy, in preparation for the final attack.

Dragonite then saw only one option – he would fly headfirst towards the ground, and then perform a flip in midair at the last minute, landing hard on its back, taking down Pikachu in the process. He immediately skydived in a mad and desperate rage, the ground being barely fifty feet away.

"This is it, Pikachu! It's our last chance! Now, give it your most powerful Thunder attack!"

"Pi! Piiiiika…CHUUUUU!"

As Pikachu unleashed a brutal Thunder attack, Dragonite felt every part of his body aching with excruciating pain as he continued to drop through the air at tremendous speed. But just as he was prepared to veer upwards slightly to crush Pikachu beneath him, he realized the terrible thing that had just happened.

He was paralyzed. Pikachu's electrical attack was so strong that it paralyzed close to every single muscle in Dragonite's body, now just barely 20 feet off the ground. Dragonite froze, watching in horror as he drew ever closer to his certain defeat.

Then, with a tremendous display of lightning and an explosion which completely dwarfed the impact created when Staraptor and Tyranitar knocked each other out, Dragonite slammed into the ground, creating a deep crater where he fell.

Everyone inside the stadium – and most probably those watching on their TVs – looked on, gripped by anticipation as the seemingly never-ending smoke created by the blast began to subside. As the dusty smoke cleared, Pikachu could be seen standing upright on his hind legs. Although he looked strong, he was truly managing to stay standing only because he was hanging onto the last ounces of his strength, for dear life.

Moments later, both our hearts began to sink as Pikachu and I saw one great claw set itself onto the ledge of the crater, followed by the other. Dragonite was obviously not about to give up easily. He dragged himself up out of the crater, standing tall and upright, giving another howl as if to signify his opponent that the fight was not over.

The two Pokémon stood still, neither moving a muscle as they glared towards each other, Dragonite's teeth clenched together with frustration. Then suddenly, the great winged beast lost its balance, and fell over onto its back. The brutal Thunder attack from Pikachu, coupled with the crushing impact on the ground, was too much for even the proud Dragonite to bear. Everyone's mouths gaped in disbelief, as the announcer raised his flag yet again.

"Dragonite is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Pikachu!"

"What an _outstanding _match!" the commentator went wild. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new _Pokémon Master!"_

I found myself dumbfounded for words as I looked at Pikachu, who now had a broad smile on his face. But to my dismay, Pikachu collapsed in a heap onto the ground as well, his body too fatigued to keep standing. The cheering of the audience died down again, into an incoherent collection of thousands of murmurs and concerned voices.

I felt as if I was unable to move for a brief moment, my mouth gaping as I was overcome with fear from the sight of Pikachu's limp figure lying motionless on the ground. Then, without a second thought and even forgetting to retrieve my hat, I frantically ran onto the pitch to lift up my dear friend's body off of it.

"Pi…" Pikachu whimpered, as he lost consciousness.

I tried his best to comfort Pikachu, despite all the pain that he was obviously in. I quickly ran towards the tunnel of the stadium entrance, with Pikachu in my arms.

"Pikachu, hang on. _Please._ The Pokémon Treatment Area is just five minutes away from here. You've gotta hang in there until then. You _have to…_"

I darted through the tunnels down towards the main lobby, where Nurse Joy was located. Pikachu's pulse was growing weaker by the minute, as blood began to seep from his wounds sustained in battle. But I resolved determinedly to never slow down, as I desperately continued to rush towards the lights of the Pokemon Treatment Area, which grew ever so closer…

**(End of Chapter 1)**

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* * *

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**A/N:** Sorry if some of the battles with Lance's Pokémon may have seemed a bit too short for a Championship match – I was trying to get through rewriting this chapter as fast as possible, so that I can get back to working on Book III. This chapter also took way more time to do than my usual chapters, because I'm not fluid enough with illustrating battles just yet and it takes a lot out of me.

Lance had only three Pokémon shown in the anime (Dragonite and his two Gyarados), so I based his other three from his party shown in the Pokémon Adventures manga, as well as Pokémon Firered/Leafgreen.

I'll come back and re-edit some of the later chapters in this Book, as well as the next one. For now, I'll get back to working on the next chapter of Book III.

Please leave your reviews for this newly updated version. : )


	2. Clinging onto Hope

**Chapter 2**

**Clinging on to Hope**

"Dragonite is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Pikachu! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new _Pokemon Master!"_

An orange-haired girl sat on her bed inside the Cerulean Gym, as she watched and listened to her TV with undivided attention. As she heard the match referee announce the victory of her best friend and love of her life, she suddenly dropped the remote from her hand, as the world around her seemed to fall silent and still.

"He…he's done it…" she murmured, amazed at how far Ash had come as a trainer, now winning the official title of Pokemon Master.

"Marill!" cried the little blue Pokemon next to her, overjoyed with Ash's victory.

"He did it! He won, Marill!" laughed Misty, as she hugged Marill who was sitting on her lap. Both trainer and Pokemon cheered in jubilation, after seeing their yellow friend emerge victorious.

He had actually done it…he has finally become the official Pokemon Master! Misty felt so proud of Ash, and as the screen showed his beaming face, she was shocked at just how much he had changed over the years. It had only been a couple of years since she saw his face again, yet he seemed so…different.

His eyes were so much gentler than she remembered them, while they were traveling together. Back then, she had loved to look at his eyes while he was beside her and didn't notice her gaze, as she cherished every moment of seeing the determination and fiery passion that they held. But now, Ash no longer looked like the naïve and super-confident trainer that he once was.

For starters, his stance was now much more refined, that was for sure. His battling style also contained more caution and pre-emptive thinking, as he showed far less recklessness while conducting his attacks, and constantly varied his tactics to match that of his opponent's. His reactions were considerably sharper, having undertaken countless battles over the years, as quickly responding to his opponents' moves became an absolute necessity in achieving victory in the most important of matches. Ash was now virtually a totally new trainer from when she knew him, as his sense of maturity and personal conduct in battle seemed to have increased dramatically.

'_Too bad I probably won't be able to say the same about his eating habits, though,' _she thought, quietly chuckling to herself. Although the way Ash acted during and after his battle showed signs of numerous positive changes in his behavior over the years, Misty knew that _some _things would never truly change, no matter how hard a person tried. Ash's obsession with food was one of those things.

But her joyful mood was soon soured, as her heart sank in unison with that of the young trainer whom she loved, when she saw Pikachu collapsing in pain onto the ground.

"Pikachu!" she cried.

"Marr!" Marill sobbed at the sight of her friend falling limply onto his stomach.

Misty ran forward to the screen in panic and clutched the sides of the TV, hoping desperately that Pikachu was alright. After seeing Ash run to the centre of the field to take Pikachu up in his arms, her eyes started flooding with tears. Right now, the only thought going through her head was to simply run by herself to the Indigo Plateau immediately to see if Pikachu was alright. But she knew that getting there was practically impossible – the rain was pouring outside the window, making a trip which would already take a full day to complete all the more longer and treacherous.

She clutched her face with her hands in sorrow. She ran to her room upstairs and buried her face in her pillow and quilt. What could she do? There was no way that she could call Ash on the phone to check up on what was going on, given Pikachu's state of emergency. All she could do right now was to wait around – for God knows how long – before Ash would be available to speak to her. Every minute, every second felt like torture to her, as she continued to fear for Pikachu's life.

"Marill…" a voice whimpered in sadness on the foot of her bed. Misty peered down to her close friend, who was looking sadly towards her. She took Marill up in her arms and hugged the little blue Pokémon as it tried to comfort her.

"Ash…Pikachu…" Misty cried, tears flowing freely from her deep cerulean eyes. "Please be alright…"

* * *

Two hours had passed since Pikachu was taken into the emergency room. Ash sat alone on a bench in the corridor outside, his anxiety growing more torturous by the minute as he continued to wait for the outcome on Pikachu's condition. He clenched onto his trademark hat nervously. A Nurse Joy peered through the window from the emergency room to look at him. She let out a small sigh in sadness after seeing Ash in such a state of discomfort. She moved towards the surgeon who was standing over Pikachu's body, busily writing medical notes on several sheets of paper attached to a clipboard.

"Well, I guess we better break the news to him." she said, and the surgeon nodded to her with approval.

As the ticking of the clock echoed throughout the corridor, Ash reflected on the battle, ruing the decisions he had made which lead to this situation.

"How could I have been so _stupid_? Why did I have to push Pikachu so far just so that I could win? This damn title means _nothing _to me if it cost Pikachu his life...if I never see him alive again…"

Teardrops fell onto his feet, as Ash started to lose all hope for Pikachu's survival, bowing his head into his hands. But his crying soon ceased momentarily once he saw Nurse Joy exit from the doors of the emergency room. Her eyes drew wider with shock, seeing just how distraught and distressed Ash was, covering her mouth with her left hand. Ash took a brief glance at her face, which looked anything but joyful at present, as she looked down towards the floor with sadness in her eyes.

Then, believing that his worst fear had finally come true, Ash fell forward from the bench onto his knees, overcome with grief. Sadness and grief pierced through his mind, causing him to finally lose all hope. _He was dead_. His first and most trusted Pokemon. His best friend. Pikachu was now gone from this world, and nothing would ever bring him back…

"Ash…" whispered Nurse Joy, as she walked over to him, crouching down to see his face.

"He's _dead,_ isn't he?" Ash growled, his anger and frustration so great that he felt hatred burn within his heart, as he resented himself for his actions. "It's all _my_ fault. I forced him too hard during that battle. Damn me and my pride. I'd rather have him alive beside me right now than to have won that stupid title."

"It's alright, Ash," Joy spoke gently as she drew Ash into a warm hug. She stroked his back and his weary head so as to comfort him, kissing the top of his head, while Ash cried endlessly into her chest. Moments later, sensing that Ash had become calm enough for her to tell him the outcome of the operation, she held him in front of her, placing her hands on his shoulders, as she looked him in the eye, and spoke to him.

"Pikachu is alive."

"…"

Ash couldn't believe it. He looked into Nurse Joy's eyes, the distraught hopelessness in his face turning to optimism, as she smiled at him with reassurance. His heart and mind began to calm, Joy squeezed his icy cold hands with her own, warming them.

"He pulled through. He's being kept in the intensive care unit."

"Is he…is he gonna be alright?" he whimpered.

Nurse Joy smiled at him and nodded. "He was in a critical condition right after the battle, but we managed to stop all the blood loss, and his pulse is steady now. He's got to stay in treatment for now, but he should be able to leave in a day or two."

Ash let out a sigh of relief at the news he had just heard. Then, in a complete turn of emotions, he hugged Nurse Joy again, this time tighter than before. Although initially dazed by Ash's sudden action, the beautiful nurse's surprised expression soon grew into a friendly smile, as she hugged him back.

"Thankyou, Nurse Joy. For saving Pikachu." He said into her ear.

Nurse Joy said nothing in reply, but simply responded by patting him lightly on the back. Then, they broke away from each other, as Ash turned back to the bench to grab his bag.

"Can I see him now?" he asked.

"They'll be transferring him into a rehab room soon. I'll come and take you there once he's been moved. For now, you can go and wait in the main foyer."

"Alright. Thanks again."

Ash looked again at the pair of glistening bright blue eyes which made his heart feel warm again after hours of anxiety, as she gave him an angelic smile. She waved goodbye to him with her fingers, and he gave her a nod in acknowledgement. She moved back into the emergency room where the other physicians were monitoring Pikachu's progress.

"If ever there was such a thing as an angel or a saint," Ash said, smiling, "it's her."

He looked at the clock in the hallway. It read 5:15pm. He decided it was time to move back to the foyer like Nurse Joy said, and so picked up his bag of belongings and started to make his way down the corridor.

"Thank God," he sighed, "I don't know what I would've ever done if I had lost him…"

* * *

**(30 minutes later)**

Ash sat alone in the foyer, resting as he closed his eyes. Although his battle against Lance lasted only for about twenty minutes, he was completely exhausted from the mental tension he had experienced during that time, especially while Pikachu was up against his Dragonite.

But it didn't matter now. Pikachu was going to be fine, which was all that was important to him.

"Ash!"

Ash turned his head immediately, as Nurse Joy's voice came from the direction of the hallway. She was waiting for him by the door. "You can come in to see Pikachu now. Follow me."

Ash chuckled with joy, as he got up and followed Nurse Joy, who lead the way to Pikachu's rehabilitation room. As Ash entered the room, he could hear the heartbeat monitor, resonating a continuous flow of steady beeps. Pikachu was fast asleep, looking very peaceful in the bed.

The young trainer then looked at Nurse Joy in the eye, as she motioned him to go inside. He walked in and knelt beside Pikachu's bed, stroking his head very gently so as not to wake him. Unluckily though for Ash, Pikachu's senses were as sharp as a razor knife, even in his current state. Roused by Ash's touch, he slowly opened his eyes to look at his trainer.

"Cha~~" he smiled, his voice barely audible due to his fatigue level.

"It's alright now, buddy. Nurse Joy said that you would be fully recovered in a day or two. Just get some rest for now, okay?" Ash said, holding Pikachu's tiny paw with his right hand.

"Pi…" replied Pikachu, as he closed his eyes again to rest.

As Ash approached the door, he stopped to look back at Pikachu's sleeping figure on the bed. Then, he turned back and proceeded to walk out of the room accompanied by Nurse Joy, smiling as he left.

"Thanks old buddy," he whispered, as he returned to the foyer, "…for everything…"

**(End of Chapter 2)**

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**A/N: **I'm currently re-editing and making some grammar corrections to the original documents, as well as switching some words around. I'll do it for the rest of this Book, and also for Book II.


	3. Remembering You

**Chapter 3**

**Remembering You**

Ash left Pikachu's room after seeing his friend in a peaceful condition, which put his mind at ease. His heart was now filled with relief and calm, as he sought to rest himself after what was definitely the most trialling day in his life as a Pokemon trainer. Nurse Joy walked beside him, back to the main reception room of the Treatment Center.

Upon reaching their destination, Ash was surprised by the sight of the two people who were waiting for him there. Standing before him were Lance and Prima*, with proud looks of admiration on both their faces. Lance was still in the same garments he had worn during the battle; his trademark black and red attire with a flowing black cape, his arm linked with Prima's. His elegant partner was wearing a black, sleeveless one-piece dress, and diamond earrings which glistened brightly under the lights of the ceiling. However, the beauty of her earrings was far surpassed by the beautiful diamond ring on her right index finger, given to her by Lance. They had married two years ago, while Ash was still traveling in Sinnoh with Brock and Dawn. Her greyish-blue eyes gave Ash a cool and serene look as she smiled at him, her hair of deep magenta shining under the lights.

"Hi you guys," Ash said to them. "It's a surprise seeing you here."

"Lance told me about your battle with him. You did great out there, Ash," Prima spoke, her tone as gentle as a calm river.

"Thanks, Prima. He was a seriously tough opponent to beat. I don't know how, but I guess I managed to pull through in the end."

Prima smiled and closed her eyes, as she softly shook her head at Ash, who now looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Ash," she said, "don't you remember what I said to you all those years ago when we first met?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Prima smiled, as she reminded Ash of what she told him, a long time ago.

"I remember the time when you battled my Cloyster with your Pikachu when we met on Mandarin Island. You had lost that match, because you had forgotten the fact that it's not _you_ who wins your own badges, but your Pokemon who give their all for you in every battle they fight. After our battle, I sensed that you had the potential to become a great trainer, but first needed to find more inner strength, as you had forgotten what connecting with your Pokemon was all about."

"I…" Ash murmured, lost for words. He still remembered that day, when he suffered a humiliating defeat to Prima, which brought him back to earth as a Pokemon trainer.

'_Thank you,' _he thought, smiling weakly at Prima. _'Thank you for opening my eyes that day. If it weren't for you, my pride and my love of victory could have consumed me one day, leading me to become like how Gary and Paul used to be…I couldn't live with myself now if that had happened to me – if I became a relentless trainer who shows no love for his Pokémon.'_

"But you did that today," she continued. "When I saw you battle today, you were like a tower of inner strength: you showed your Pokemon love and respect during the battle – even when they lost – as they gave their all for you, in return for that love. And that bond between you and your Pokémon is what won you the battle today. I'm proud of you, Ash."

Ash smiled at her and nodded, and then looked over to Lance, who spoke next.

"Great battling out there, Ash. It was an honor," he smiled as he extended his hand to Ash.

"You too, Lance. You're definitely the best I've ever faced," Ash replied, holding out his own hand in response.

Lance smiled at his compliment, and the two of them shook hands.

"So, how's Pikachu? Is he going to be alright?" asked the Dragon master.

"Yeah. It's all thanks to Nurse Joy," he said, turning his head to smile at the woman beside him, making her blush. "He'll be fully recovered in the next day or two."

"That's good to hear. I'm sorry Dragonite went so far – he's got a habit of becoming…_brutal_ when his opponents don't go down quickly. I tried to make sure that he controls his temper during battle, but close to almost every measure I've taken so far has proven to be ineffective," Lance apologized, disappointment evident in his tone as he spoke.

"It's ok, Lance," Ash smiled. "Dragons have a tendency of letting their pride get in the way of things occasionally…believe me, I know." he chuckled, as he recalled a certain orange-colored dragon of his, who was now resting in his Pokéball along with Sceptile, Staraptor, Gliscor and Glalie in the Pokémon Center.

Lance laughed along with him, knowing just which Pokémon Ash was referring to.

"How's Dragonite? Is he fine as well?" asked Ash.

"Yeah, he's doing great. He sure took a battering from that Thunder attack, but it's a good thing that he didn't sustain a whole lot of structural damage in his body."

After a brief pause, Lance continued, this time with a voice of formality and strength.

"Well Ash, because you're now Champion of the Pokemon League, it is my duty as the leader of the Elite Four, to show you to your new accommodations."

"A…accommodations?" Ash asked, utterly perplexed at what was going on.

"Of course! You'll be residing in the Champion's Living Quarters during your stay here. Come with me, I'll show you there," Lance said, turning and motioning Ash to follow him.

"That's alright, Lance. _I'll _take him there. You go and get some rest as well," Nurse Joy insisted.

Lance stopped walking and looked over to Joy, before he nodded with approval. Then, he took Prima's hand, and they walked off together to their own private residence in the Indigo Plateau.

"Come on, Ash, I'll take you to your living quarters."

* * *

Ash walked beside Nurse Joy as they left the medical building, crossing a bridge which connected it to the residential section of the Indigo Plateau. It was still raining heavily outside while they walked. Ash looked up to see the long, arched glass cover over their heads. It was laid directly above the bridge, covering its top and sides, to create a waterfall effect during times of heavy rainfall, which was beautiful to behold. The bridge was a fair distance in length – perhaps about forty feet – as the path towards the door of the residential building was illuminated by many floodlights on the sides of the walkway.

As they drew closer at the doorway to the building, Ash could feel his heartbeat increasing with anticipation. He couldn't see anything through the glass door, due to its pitch-black tint. Once they arrived, Nurse Joy pulled out a key from her pocket and unlocked the door.

"Well, here we are. I hope you'll like it," she said to him, handing him the keys to his residence.

"Thanks."

Ash placed his right hand on the door handle, pushing the door open. He stepped into the dark room, feeling across the wall for the light switch. Then, feeling a small switch close to the frame of the door, he pushed it, to behold the surprise of his life.

The place was absolutely stunning. A small fountain of stone, with a miniature figure of an angel holding a jar from which the water flowed was situated a few feet in front of the door. The floor tiles in front of the entrance were made of a beautifully textured gray shade of marble, and the lights illuminated the room in a brilliant yellow hue, reminiscent of sunlight. Further ahead, the marble floor came to an end, to be replaced by the luscious, peach-colored carpet of the living room. His eyes drew wide at the sight of the furniture within: three black leather sofas were adjoined together with small gaps separating each other, forming an open rectangle in front of a glass coffee table. And in front of it all was a grand flatscreen TV, large enough to cover the entire section of wall that was behind it.

"Just so that you know, there's an elevator if you go in further and turn left. If you take it down, it'll lead you to the training area. The training area has eighteen separate chambers – seventeen unique and distinct training areas are designed to suit every one of the seventeen respective Pokemon types' needs, and offers the chance to hone their abilities. The final chamber contains a training arena which is able to be altered to adapt to a unique environment of your choice and setting."

Nurse Joy looked puzzlingly at Ash, wondering whether or not he had heard her, for his back was still turned in her direction with no sign of reaction coming from him. He was obviously still far too amazed at the features of the room to be able to respond.

"Well then, make yourself at home. I have to get back to the Treatment Centre. My shift isn't over yet."

"Oh," Ash said, roused by her movement towards the door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Bye, Nurse Joy!"

"That's alright. By the way, please feel free to call me Claire," she said, turning her head around to see him as she laid her hand on the door handle.

Ash stood, with a perplexed gaze on his face. This was the first time a Nurse Joy had ever told him to call her by her first name, making him feel suddenly uneasy. Then, as if she had read the question that lingered in his mind like a psychic, she spoke to him again cheerfully.

"Well, considering that you'll be staying here for quite some time, and that we'll come across each other often, you might as well just call me by my first name. You don't have to refer to me by my title every time you see me while you're here. Just so you're comfortable, that's all."

As she finished speaking, he understood her perfectly, and his dumbfounded expression turned into a smile.

"Thanks…Claire."

Claire smiled at him again, then departed for the Treatment Center. After she left, Ash decided to have a wander around his living area. He walked in front of the elevator to look at it, but decided to have a look at the other parts of the building first. As he returned to the position he was in and turned to look left, he beheld a large, white rectangular figure in his line of sight, causing all of his attention to suddenly become fixated upon it. His stomach rumbled in response at the very sight of the object, as he couldn't help but walk towards the room in which it was held.

_A fridge. FOOD. _

Right now, Ash was hungry enough to eat a plate of food the size of a Wailord, as the growling of his stomach was loud enough to put the cries of an Exploud to shame. He made a wild dash to the fridge, yanking open the door at a tremendous speed.

Noodles. Sticky date pudding. Chocolate. Meatballs. Soda. Confronted with an enormous array of food and drinks before him, Ash suddenly found himself in a torturous mental state, not knowing which one to pick up first.

'_Screw it, I'm too hungry_," he thought, as he simply grabbed everything he could and started downing everything in sight like a half-starved savage. _'Snorlax, buddy...__now I know exactly how you feel.'_

Time passed quickly as Ash continued to gorge on the banquet of food, sitting directly in front of the fridge. He hadn't eaten anything since noon, when he was busy preparing for his battle later that day. His feast was interrupted, however, by the ringing of the phone near the kitchen bench.

"_Awww, now's not a good time…" _he thought as he forced himself to rise up to take the phone.

"Hello? Ash Ketchum here," he answered.

"Hi Ash, it's Claire," came the voice from the opposite line. "There's someone who wants to speak to you on the phone. It's the Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty Waterflower. She looked and sounded pretty distressed when she called. Do you want me to patch her through on the video phone?"

Ash's thoughts went blank all of a sudden, as he heard Misty's name. He hadn't seen or spoken to her for what felt like a lifetime, ever since they stopped Dr. Yung's plot involving mirage Pokémon. Even when he had returned to Kanto after his adventures, he didn't even take the time to visit her in Cerulean, as his mind was focused purely upon facing the Elite Four. Remembering this, he felt an enormous amount of guilt surging over him, his knees slightly buckling with remorse.

"Ash? Ash, are you still there?" spoke Claire, snapping him out of his thoughts and bringing him back to reality.

"Uhh, yeah, Claire. Patch her in. I'll go over to the video phone right now" he replied softly, doing his best to sound like his normal self.

"Alright Ash, I'll transfer her through now."

Ash gently placed the phone down, his arm movement withered due to the sudden rush of old emotions which came flooding into his mind, as he finally fell on his knees. He had never called her once before in his journeys, but yet she was calling _him _now. He never wrote to her. He never even asked his mom or Professor Oak on how she was doing while he was travelling with Brock and Dawn.

'_I can't believe how horrible I've been to her, by doing absolutely nothing…But right now, it __**must**__ be about Pikachu. She must have seen the battle on TV, and got worried after she saw him collapse after the fight with Dragonite.'_

"Ash? Ash, are you there?" cried a familiar voice from the direction of the study room, which was located several metres to the left of the dining area. Ash got up immediately, running over to greet the voice which he hadn't heard in years, and longed to hear almost every day.

"I'm here, Misty. What is it?" Ash said worriedly as he arrived at the video phone. "Pikachu…is he alright? I saw the battle on the TV and was so worried…_Please Ash, _tell me that he's alright?"

Ash sighed and lowered his head, then raised himself up again to give her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Misty, he's alright. Nurse Joy said that his wounds were very bad at first, but they managed to put him in a stable condition, and now he'll be able to come out of treatment in a day or two."

"That's a relief to hear," she said, looking at his eyes again, smiling before sinking back into her chair, exhaling a deep sigh of relief. He loved it when she smiled. For some reason, seeing her smiling made him happy, no matter what situation he may have been in. Even if he happened to lose a Pokémon battle, Misty would always be there for him, giving him words of comfort to cheer him up. But it was not her words which truly comforted him: it was the smile created by her gorgeous lips; those innocent and beautiful, deep cerulean eyes that meant more to him than the whole world, that had always made his mood positive again in an instant.

All of a sudden, as his attention wavered towards her other features, he was taken aback at how Misty's appearance had changed. Her hair was no longer in the side ponytail that he always knew it to be, but long and flowing in a wavy style, similar to how he remembered seeing her during one of her mermaid shows. Her deep cerulean eyes, as beautiful as they were in his memories, looked even more captivating now than ever before.

'_You're right, Rudy,' _he thought as he smiled, remembering what the Trovita Island Gym Leader had said more than seven years ago. '_Her eyes, they __**are **__like diamonds, but lovelier.'_

A few seconds passed, before Misty spoke again.

"So…what's new? Obviously besides winning the title of Pokémon Master, of course," She said teasingly with a wink, diverting Ash's attention away from his victory.

"Not much. But boy, you should check out all the stuff in this room they have for trainers who become the Champion. It's so _great. _The fridge is absolutely chock-full of food," Ash chuckled, closing his eyes and covering his mouth, so as to conceal his childish grin from her.

"Whoopdy-doo, Mr. Pokemon Master. Some things _do _never change…" Misty groaned as she rolled her eyes.

Ash took a few breaths to settle himself, before he continued the conversation.

"So, what about you?" he asked.

"Nothing much. I didn't have any trainers come looking to win the Cascade Badge today, because of all the rain outside."

"Mmm…" Ash gave a sound of acknowledgement as he nodded his head.

Then, both trainers suddenly found themselves in deep emotional conflict as their conversation broke, yet they sat looking at each other for what was a full minute. Ash's thoughts tormented him, as he tried to understand just what he felt at the moment, as the two of them looked into each other's eyes.

'_She's changed so much over the years... She looks almost nothing like the Misty I knew back then, or from how I remember her from my thoughts and dreams at night...Something's changed about her. I feel completely when I see her now, compared to before. After she left to take care of the Cerulean Gym, I missed her everyday as a best friend, but now…I miss her in a totally different way, but why?'_

Sadness flooded Misty's mind as she looked into the eyes of the raven-haired boy whom she had fallen in love with.

'_I missed you, Ash…I wanted to be with you for every day that we spent apart; to hold you tight and to never let go, but it broke my heart to know that I never could. I love you, Ash Ketchum. My heart belonged to you ever since I first laid my eyes upon you, but I was always afraid that if I told you about my true feelings for you, it could ruin our friendship. I'm __**still **__afraid…You're the most important thing that's ever happened to me, and if I lose you as a friend all because of my love for you…I just wouldn't be able to go on anymore…'_

Misty's gaze and thoughts were abruptly broken, as she felt a teardrop forming from the corner of her eye. Then, doing her best to conceal her grief, she spoke to him again.

"Hey umm, Ash… sorry, but it's getting pretty late now. I have to go and check the Gym's pool and take care of the Pokemon and stuff... Maybe I'll see you later..." she said, hanging her head in disappointment. She moved her hand towards the power button in preparation to turn it off, after expecting to exchange farewell remarks with him.

"Mist…don't go…"

'_What did he just call me?' _she thought,as she raised her head again at the sound of his voice, looking at his chocolate-brown eyes, which contained a sadness which she had never seen in him before…

**(End of Chapter 3)**

* * *

*: 'Lorelei' (the ice-type trainer of the Elite four), as she is known in the games, is referred to as 'Prima' in the 99th episode (or somewhere thereabouts) of the anime where she is introduced, in the English dub.


	4. The Heartbreaking Truth

**Chapter 4**

**The Heartbreaking Truth**

"Mist…don't go…"

Misty stood still as her heart skipped a beat, her right hand shaking as it still hung over the power button of the video phone.

'_Mist_', _he called her_…He had never called her that before in her life, even while they were traveling together. Almost every nickname most people created for her – especially those that her sisters made up – were extremely agitating for her to hear, yet this new nickname given to her by Ash was somehow…soothing.

Then, the raven-haired trainer raised his eyes to meet hers once more, his voice sinking down to a doleful whisper as he spoke.

"I wanted to say to you that…_I'm sorry._"

"Sorry? What do you mean?" she replied, calmly sitting down again in her chair.

"I never called you – not even _once_ while I was traveling in Hoenn or Sinnoh. I can't believe how selfish I was during my journeys – to place _all_ my attention upon the next Gym Leader I would be facing in the next town, and not even take a moment to talk to a friend who means more to me than any badge or title. _Even _while I would be sitting around doing nothing in a Pokémon Center."

'_Am I…__**that **__important to him?' _she thought._ 'Does he __**really**__ feel about me that way?'_

"Ash, don't worry! You were busy with your adventures, I understand that!"

She tried her hardest to restore the smile to her friend's lips and convince him that he shouldn't blame himself for his actions, but to no avail. If there was one thing about Ash that Misty remembered about him besides his appetite or his love for his Pokémon, it was his stubborn attitude. He would normally argue on and on with her about even the littlest of things , until Brock intervened or Pikachu decided to snap them out of it with a Thundershock. But if there was one emotion in him which was simply impossible to suppress, it was the guilt he suffered whenever he believed that he was letting his friends or loved ones down: the very guilt which he was experiencing now as he continued to blame himself for his actions.

"_No_," he uttered, his hand landing hard onto the table in front of him. "That's _still_ no excuse for what I did. You're my best friend, and no-one could _ever _replace you in my life. You even went as far as to save me from certain death _twice, _but I never even repaid you in any way. You'd think that the _least _I could do is call every now and then to see how you're doing, but I couldn't even do something as _goddamn simple_ as that."

Misty stared intently at Ash's face, as he tried his best to remain composed whilst speaking tearfully.

"I remember years ago, when I heard about your battle with those arrogant pigs who called themselves the 'Invincible Pokémon Brothers'. Those bastards had even gone as far as to _hurt_ you with their Tentacruels' poison sting just so they could 'win' the battle. When the news came to me, I felt like I was _dying_ inside."

Tears were now rolling down onto his sleeves, as he clenched his fist in frustration. Misty placed her hand over her heart, remembering the aching pain she had experienced as her body was barraged by the relentless waves of poison sting attacks from the Tentacruel. But the greatest pain she felt at that time was not due to the venomous attacks, but something completely different.

It was the pain created by her love and longing for Ash, who was no longer by her side. As their friendship grew during their time together on their journeys, he would always be there to protect her, even if it meant putting his own body and life on the line, selflessly looking out for her during any danger. She wanted to be safe in his arms again; for him to embrace her and whisper into her ear that everything was going to be alright. But the harsh truth of reality broke her heart, as she realised that he wasn't there for her. She continued to suffer excruciating pain until Gyarados broke out of his cage in anger, sending the brothers and their Tentacruels rocketing into the sky.

'_He really __**does **__care about me that way...Does this mean that…I can finally tell him what I've wanted to, all these years?' _

Her mind became conflicted, and her heart began to race. Seeing Ash speak to her from his very heart and soul was something that she had _never_ seen him do before.

" I should've been there to protect you. I _know_ I should have. And even after I heard about your battle from Professor Oak while I was in the Hoenn region, I still didn't call you in the end, no matter _how much_ I reminded myself to. It was one thing to not have been there for you when you needed me; to not have even called you at all to make sure that you were alright…I'll never forgive myself for that…"

"Ash, _please, _stop blaming yourself! I know your friends are the most important thing in the world to you, but you've gotta realise that you can't always be there to protect them at all times! Sometimes you have to let them do things alone and in their _own_ way, because that's the only way they'll truly learn from their own mistakes, both as trainers and people. _Even_ if it means that they can get hurt trying to. Besides, you had your own dreams that you were setting out to fulfil. I didn't want to get in the way of that."

Misty cried, covering her eyes with her hands, not being able to bear seeing her friend in such mental anguish. Her tears temporarily stopped, however, as she heard rustling sounds, her attention diverted to Ash's hand which reached into his jacket. As it left his inner pocket, the pink handkerchief that she had given to him many years ago, along with her special lure were revealed to her.

"I remember when you gave these to me…" he said, reflectively looking at them.

"My handkerchief and lure! …you still have them?" she asked.

"Of course I do. I kept them on me at all times, so I could remember you every time I looked at them. The only time I could ever take them out was at night, while Brock and Dawn were asleep, but that's all the time I ever needed. These were all that I had left to remind me of you. I missed you every day, Misty…"

"You…you really mean that, don't you? …you really did miss me?" she gasped softly, smiling as she kept back her tears.

He nodded. "Of course, Mist. I still do."

As she looked into his eyes, Misty could feel her tears receding slightly. But still, there was one question that lingered in her mind, as she couldn't help posing it to him.

"But why, Ash? I mean, we've only been apart for a few years! Why did you think of me so much as you do?"

"Because I…"

Misty could feel her heart pounding harder and harder,\ as a drop of sweat trickled down her brow. This was it. The time when Ash Ketchum's true feelings for her would be revealed. All her hopes and fears were left clinging onto this very moment as she prayed that he would say those three magical words which would put all her doubts to rest: the three words which would finally allow her to express her own true feelings to the one and only trainer whom she had ever loved.

Ash exhaled deeply, turning his head slightly to the side, speaking to her words which broke her heart in two.

"…because you're my best friend..."

A tiny breath of disappointment escaped Misty's mouth, and her head drooped with sadness. She wanted him to say that he _loved her_, to say that he missed her everyday because she meant the world to him…Now, her dreams of love were shattered by the single person to whom her heart could ever belong.

Week after week, day after day following her separation from Ash and Brock, Misty would reject date requests from enthusiastic male trainers who would show more interest in _her _than her gym badge. No matter how handsome she thought they were, or how promising and powerful they seemed as trainers, she would reject their offers every time, all because of her love for _him_.

But now, Misty could see that things were different. He _didn't_ have the same feelings for her, as she did for him. She had lived for more than six years with hope, that one day he would return her love with his own heart – a hope which now turned out to be nothing more than a false shadow of despair.

Her whole body started to shiver. She felt engulfed in a sudden coldness she had never felt before in her life, as she finally came to realise the painful truth.

All those years of longing for him…all those years of _waiting_ for him…

_**Wasted.**_

"Mist…" said the boy inside the computer screen, "…are you alright?"

'_Stop crying, Misty,' _she thought to herself. _'Don't let him see you like this. After all, he's only telling the truth by saying that you __**are **__his best friend. No matter how sad or frustrated you may feel right now, it's not right to take it out on him…'_

Misty did her best to disguise her sorrows by forcing herself to smile, although it killed her inside to do so.

"Thank you Ash, that's so sweet of you…"

'_I can't take this anymore,' _she thought. _'I don't want to feel hurt any longer. No more.'_

As she continued to stare at the two chocolate-brown eyes that looked at her with a concerned gaze, she finally decided that she had enough. Then, without hesitation or a second thought, she did something that she never thought she could do in her life.

_She lied to him._

"Well, I have to go now…Daisy needs me downstairs, I think." she said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Oh…ok, then. Well, goodnight then, Misty. Sleep well."

Ash gave her one last worried look, as both trainers reached out their arms towards the power buttons of their video phones.

"Goodnight, Ash."

After Misty switched off her video phone, a single teardrop fell from her right eye, landing heavily on the keyboard below.

"…sweet dreams."

Then, hanging up the phone on the side of the monitor screen, Misty finally burst into tears as she turned around and flung herself onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. The full moon shone dimly into her room, illuminating a small drawer next to her bed. Placed upon it was a framed picture of a smiling, black-haired trainer who had just broken her heart…

**(End of Chapter 4)**


	5. The Nightmare

**Chapter 5**

**The Nightmare**

**(Ash's POV)**

It had been around four hours since my conversation with Misty. I walked over to my bed, my body aching with fatigue as I slid under the sheets. But once I lied down, my mind became restless as her face continued to linger in my mind. Why she had cried and acted the way she did, I could _not_ understand. When I told her that I had missed her and thought about her for the last few years we had been apart, she seemed so…happy, so vibrant, even while she cried. But after I told her that the reason I did so was because she was my best friend, I saw nothing but disappointment and sadness in her…but why? Surely she must feel the same way about me?

I finally decided to call it a night, as my head started to ache from all the thoughts that ran through my head. I looked over at the digital clock which lay next to the lamp on a table beside the bed, and now read 10:51pm, 23-09-04. As much as I wanted to call her again to find out why she had acted the way she did, it was already too late at night, so I decided to leave all my troubles till the next morning, I closed my eyes to drift off into what would hopefully be a peaceful night's sleep.

I turned my head to the side to say goodnight to my long-time pal.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Pika-"

It was then that I remembered… Pikachu was not by my side.

"…chu…"

I felt so alone. This was the first day in a long while that I slept completely by myself, with none of my friends around me…Brock, Misty, Dawn, May and Max were all going about their own lives and fulfilling their own dreams now. Dreams which surely didn't need me by their side.

My mind began to wonder again as I fell into a deep slumber, my last thoughts being of her.

That's when the nightmare started.

* * *

Opening my eyes in my dream, I found myself surrounded by a shroud of complete darkness. My very bones seemed to freeze over, as my nerves were pierced by a chilling cold. I looked around, hopelessly searching for any kind of light or warmth, my pulse growing slower with each passing second. Then, as a white light gleamed from behind me, I turned around to see where it was coming from.

A single, large ball of white crystal levitated over the ground. I ran towards it, desperate to get away from the cold and the dark. As I touched it with my hands, I closed my eyes with relief, finding sanctuary in its radiating warmth. But my eyelids burst open again when I realized that something was terribly wrong with the sphere of light. It became stuck to my hands, and would not detach, no matter how hard I tried to pry it from my fingertips. Fear overcame me as the lights continued to grow dimmer, until all turned to darkness once again.

My body suddenly went cold once more, and I could feel the life leaving from my body. Just when I thought that I couldn't take it anymore, the crystal ball came back glistening with life. Its interior warped and distorted violently with light and shadow, until it finally became still and calm. Then, my mind was filled with curiosity and disbelief, as it showed me a vision which I had never seen before.

It was Misty. Her long, bright orange hair was untied as her head rested gently upon a pillow, on a bed of pure white. Her hair shone radiantly as the sunlight beamed upon her sleeping body, whilst she lay surrounded by white roses. A gentle wind blew across her surroundings, blowing white rose petals harmoniously around her body.

She had never looked so beautiful to me in my entire life. My lips formed a small smile; the mere sight of her angelic face was all that I needed to shield me from the inhospitable coldness that surrounded me, as I continued to gaze into the crystal ball. But I soon sank into despair, as I realized that something was terribly wrong with her.

She was not breathing. Her skin was deathly pale, and her hands were crossed over one another, on top of her heart. As the crystal ball's focus moved towards the object held in her hands, so did mine. Once the object was in plain view, I was shocked to discover what it was: a small picture frame, containing a photo of me.

I cried out, pleading with her to open her eyes, just as she had cried out to me many years ago in Pokemon Tower. But this time, calling out her name proved to be futile.

For Misty wasn't asleep.

_She was dead._

This wasn't happening. This _couldn't _be happening. As the image within drew higher and higher away from where she lay, I desperately tried to reach out for her , screaming her name out repeatedly, as I madly shook the crystal ball. I couldn't bear to face the possibility of never seeing her face again.

But no matter how hard I tried to get to her, reaching her was impossible. I fell to my knees, tears pouring down my face as I realized that I had failed the one girl who had waited so long for my return. Misty was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I fell to my knees, my eyes clenched shut but failing to keep back my tears, as I clutched the sphere of crystal in my arms. _Why? How could she have died? Why couldn't I save her?_

Then, the crystal ball distorted again, this time showing a crowd gathered under a large oak tree, all dressed in black. Everyone in Kanto who personally knew Misty were standing together; Brock, Daisy, Lily, Violet, Tracey, Professor Oak, Gary and my mom among them. Bill was also present, standing next to Professor Oak and Tracey. But my heart grew restless as I realised that _one _person was not among them – me. The waves rolled in gently against the sea shore in the distance, as I barely recognised the surrounding landscape as being that of Cerulean Cape – Misty's favourite place in all of Kanto.

As I looked beyond the crowd, I saw a priest standing behind a large, white wooden box – a **coffin**. They were all attending Misty's funeral. The attendees started to cry one by one, as he stood behind Misty's coffin to give his oratory.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to farewell Misty Waterflower, who had tragically ended her own life yesterday…The cause of her grief is yet unknown, but we pray to Almighty God that he take her up in his wing and grant her eternal rest. May she rest in peace…"

After the priest finished his speech, Misty's coffin was lowered into the ground. Her three sisters covered their faces with their hands, crying as Mom went over to them, patting their backs and hugging them each, to give what little consolation she could provide.

The crystal ball now centred its focus upon Misty's tombstone. It read(*):

Misty Waterflower

16 August 1986 – 23 September 2004.

Here lies Misty Waterflower; caring trainer, beloved sister and dearest friend, whose beauty was surpassed only by her selfless generosity.

Although she died of a broken heart, her memory shall live on forever in those who loved her dearly.

Rest In Peace.

As the light of the crystal ball died again into blackness, I finally collapsed in despair, both my hands shaking as they were outstretched on the ground. The coldness now gripped my very heart, as my whole body seemed to freeze over with guilt.

It was _my fault_. She killer herself because of me. But the worst part is…I wasn't even there to say goodbye to her at her funeral…how could I even call myself her friend?

I collapsed backwards, my back landing heavily onto the ground, as I closed my eyes waiting for the shadows to consume me, as it did to her. I couldn't live anymore. All I wanted now was for death to come for me without hesitation – to allow me to escape from this living nightmare…

But as I waited for the end to come, it never did. I could hear voices now, as I sensed numerous people surrounding my body.

I sat up as I opened my eyes, to the sight of all the people who I had just seen at Misty's funeral. Their faces were full of contempt and hatred, their eyes glaring menacingly down upon me as I looked back at them in confusion.

Brock was the first to break his silence as he lunged forward, his fingers clenched shut into angry fists.

"Bastard!" he yelled, punching me viciously in the jaw, causing me to recoil onto the ground. "Why couldn't you save her?"

"She died because of _you!_" Daisy screamed, as she moved forward and slapped me hard on the cheek._ "_She'd still be _alive_ if she had never even met you in the first place!"

"You should've learned by now that your friends are more important than your titles, Ash Ketchum!" scolded Lily.

Even my own mom blamed me for her death.

"Ash Ketchum! I can't believe how selfish you are! To think that someone like _you_ could be _my _son!" she hissed.

"If I had known that you'd turn out to be a trainer like this," shouted Professor Oak, "I never would've even given you your first Pokémon!"

"It's _you _who should be buried in the ground instead of my sister! Buried _alive_!" hollered Violet, whacking me hard across the forehead with the back of her hand.

"Curse you, Ash Ketchum…curse you to hell!" yelled Tracey as he spat on my face.

Even my dearest Pokémon turned against me, anger and rage burning in their eyes.

"Pi-ka!"

"Bulbasaur!"

"Squirtle, Squirt!"

"Bayy!"

"Charrr…"

Blood and tears ran down my face in a way they had never done so before. Then, my eyes were fixed upon Violet, as she stood over me. She yanked me up by my collar, causing me to become short of breath.

"_You_ killed my sister! You're nothing but a _murderer_!" she hollered, kneeing me hard in the stomach as she raised me off of the ground. Her hands now held my throat, choking me with a vice-like grip as the others closed in around me.

"Murderer…" they all said in unison.

"Murderer…"

"Murderer…"

"…Murderer…"

Fear gripped my heart before I saw from the corner of my eye a white figure which became illuminated against the darkness. I took one final look past Violet's face, to see what it was.

Misty's body was sinking into darkness, as tears flowed down the side of her face, into the bottomless chasm below. Her voice despairingly cried out to me, as I looked on helplessly.

"Ash…help me…_save me_. _Please…_"

"Mis…tyyy…"

I reached out my hand towards her in vain, but couldn't get any closer, as my eyes continued to darken and my lungs ran out of air. Then finally, all was black…

* * *

I awoke from my dream, sweating and panting as my back lurched forward off the bed. My heart was pounding, and I held my face in my hands. I looked over again at the digital clock: the time was now 2:23am. As much as I wanted to go back to sleep, I couldn't. Not after that nightmare of her…

I went into the bathroom to wash my face, before heading out to the balcony for air. I leaned forward on the metal railing, holding the handkerchief which she gave to me long ago. I looked at the full moon which shone beautifully in the night sky. My head grew weary as I tried my hardest to understand the reason behind my feelings for her.

Dawn and May were both great companions while they accompanied me, but when I was with Misty, I felt something completely different, which I never felt around the two of them. I felt _alive._ My heart raced and my breathing quickened every time she was beside me. But I _still _couldn't figure out why we cared about each other so much – even more so than the best of friends do for one another.

Why did she look at me the way she did whenever we were alone? Why did she constantly put her own life in danger for the sake of saving mine? Why was she so devastated when she had to leave to return to Cerulean during our journeys? Why do I feel about her differently compared to all the others?

It was then that I realized. The answer to all my questions was held in the deepest recesses of my memory, of one particular night when I thought I could hear a voice singing as I slept. At first, I believed it to be some kind of lullaby I heard in my dreams, because I heard it almost every night. But now that I thought about it, it was not the case. That voice I heard…it was none other's than Misty…she must've still been awake all those times, while Brock and I were fast asleep. The only time that I woke after listening to her song, she whispered something into my ear. But what?

After minutes of frustrated thought, the words she spoke echoed clearly in my mind, as I finally remembered.

"_I love you."(*2)_

I finally realised the reason behind everything – the reason why she had followed me ever since that fateful day. The reason why she feared for my life every time I got myself into danger…the reason why she was almost in tears when she realised that we had to split up, as she returned to Cerulean.

_She truly loves me._

When I was younger, I snapped at close to anybody who called me 'dense'. But now that I thought about it, they were right. How long Misty felt that way about me but kept it inside herself for fear of hurting our friendship, only she could possibly know.

_Misty…my Misty…how could I ever hurt you like I just did? How can you ever forgive me? _

I never truly knew what love really was when I met her. I didn't even come to understand it while we were travelling together. But now, as I finally grew out of my old self, there was no point in denying it any further, to myself, to her, or to anyone. I knew it in my heart ever since the very moment I met her, even if I didn't think so in my head…

_I love you, Misty Waterflower. I always have, and I always will. _

And that's when I made a vow. A vow, which this time, I promised on my life that I would keep.

"I'll call her tomorrow," I said to myself, clenching her handkerchief in my fist as my tears fell upon it. "I'll tell her what I **truly **feel about her. And I swear, that I'll never disappoint her again."

**(End of Chapter 5)**

* * *

(*) – Although the 16th of August 1986 is obviously not Misty's confirmed birth date from the developers of Pokemon, I chose the year of her birth as 1986, because the first episode of Pokemon was aired in Japan on April 1, 1997, and started with Ash and Misty both being 10 years old. I chose a date within the month of July-August after reading about the various star signs, and decided that Misty should be born under the sign of Leo. (Personality traits description of Leos from a website being (with sections relevant to Misty being underlined by me): 'Leos are generous and open-minded. They are quite caring in nature. They possess a dominating nature coupled with a knack of taking everyone along. This combination of traits makes them true leaders. They may be egoistic and bossy. They tend to easily lose their temper. They are both open-minded and openhanded and show deep love for magnificence and luxury. Leos are real kings!'."

(*2) – This scene was never shown in any Pokemon episode, but Misty whispers into Ash's ear, "I love you" at the end of the song, "Misty's Song", from the 'Pokemon Live!' show. You can listen to it on YouTube.


	6. Tears of a Waterflower

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

**A/N (2): **There's a few songs I included in this story from this chapter forwards. You don't necessarily _have _to listen to the songs, but I strongly recommend that you do, so that you can get the proper feel behind the reason the song was used.

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six **in this series.

**Note:** Text written in italics symbolizes the character(s') thoughts. Also in various times, the story will be written alternatively between first and third-person. Brackets with ((character name)'s POV) will be added to represent this. This was done, so that the more emotional moments which the characters experience could be expressed in a more emotional manner.

**(New) Character Ages: **Brock (22), Daisy (27), Delia Ketchum (37), Professor Oak (58). I forgot to mention Claire (Nurse Joy)'s age in the previous chapters, but her age is 22. **  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

** Tears of a Waterflower**

**(Ash's POV)****  
**

I was woken in the morning by the noisy ringing of the phone in the kitchen. Rays of sunlight shined through the windows of my bedroom, striking my eyes as they burst open. My vision was blurry, and my body ached all over – I had gotten barely three hours of sleep last night. My head drearily turned to face the clock which now read 8:20am, before I buried my face again in my pillow in exhaustion.

_Claire… why now? It's so early in the morning…couldn't you give me another hour or two before calling?_

As the phone continued to ring even after half a minute had passed, I realized that Claire's call was an urgent one. I slugged myself from my bed, dazedly making my way to the phone as I picked it up.

"Hello? Claire, is that you?" I asked, my voice sounding half asleep.

"Ash, there's an important call waiting for you. Do you want me to…Ash, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah... I just didn't sleep properly last night. I'll be alright. But thanks for asking, Claire."

I could hear her laughing softly, as I told her the reason behind my lethargic voice.

"Don't laugh at me, Claire…" I said jokingly.

"Alright, don't worry. Anyway, the call is from Pallet Town – Professor Oak and your mother wanted to congratulate you on your victory."

My tiredness seemed to vanish all at once as soon as I heard their names, replaced by my usual energy. In reality, it had only been five days since I left home to challenge the Elite four, following my return from my adventures in Sinnoh with Brock and Dawn. But a call from my mom or Professor Oak was something I would never snub in my life, regardless of how short I've been gone.

"Sure Claire, patch them through!" I said with a smile.

"Okay Ash, they'll be on the video phone in just a little while. Take care now!"

"Thanks, Claire. I'll see you at the PokéCenter soon," I said, before hanging up the phone.

_God, I'm hungry. I haven't even had breakfast yet…Oh well, first thing's first. Mom and Professor Oak are waiting to see me, after all._

I moved to the study room, turned on the video phone and waited for the call to be transferred. As the screen flickered with a call notification, I clicked on it, as the screen displayed mom, Professor Oak and Tracey sitting together in front of the monitor.

"Good morning, Ash," said Professor Oak, "How are you feeling?"

"Great, Professor Oak! Though I am feeling a bit tired from not getting enough sleep last night," I replied with a soft laugh.

"Well, that's understandable, considering the fact that yesterday's match must have been the most important in your whole life," laughed Professor Oak, "Anyhow, we heard about what happened with Pikachu, after I called the PokéCenter in the Indigo Plateau. We were all worried – especially your mother – when we saw the match on television, but the medical staff who responded to my call told me that Pikachu would turn out just fine, following the operation. Congratulations again, Ash."

"Thanks, Professor."

I then peered over at Mom as she looked at me, her face filled with admiration and joy. Tiny drops of tears were visible underneath her eyelashes. She was obviously overwhelmed by the news of my victory.

"Oh honey, you've made me so proud! I can't wait 'till you come back home again! We're going to have a _big_ party to celebrate, just for you!"

Her voice was filled with her usual energy and enthusiasm, as she clasped her hands together in front of her face.

"Gee, mom, you really didn't have to go as far as that," I chuckled, holding the back of my head with my left hand, feeling pampered.

"Great job, Ash!" exclaimed Tracey, who sat slightly behind Mom and Professor Oak, "You finally did it!"

"Thanks, Tracey," I smiled.

"That battle between Pikachu and Dragonite was intense! I can't imagine how much Pikachu's power could have increased over the years to even beat Lance's Dragonite, which was supposedly the most powerful Pokémon owned by a trainer in all of Kanto and Johto!"

"Yeah. All the gym leaders and trainers I faced in the Sinnoh region were seriously tough opponents. I guess all that hard work me and my Pokémon did over our travels paid off in the end," I said.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Ash," said Professor Oak, "May, Harrison and Dawn called to offer you their congratulations. They were all worried about Pikachu as well, but they were relieved after I told them of his recovery."

"That's good to hear, Professor. I'll be sure to call them each when I get the cha-"

"Why hello there, Ashy-boy!"

I was cut off by a slimy, arrogant voice which was all too familiar to me. A tall, slender boy with spiky brown hair then walked towards the video phone, wearing a lab coat similar to Professor Oak, as he held a book of laboratory notes under his arm. It was none other than _Gary_, my long-time rival.

"Oh…Hi, Gary…" I sighed.

"I gotta say, I was quite impressed with that victory of yours. I believe congratulations are in order?"

He tilted his head slightly to the side, as I became puzzled by his remark. Usually when I had achieved anything, Gary would always say things which would belittle my accomplishments, such as 'I could have done that in _half _the time you took!' or 'You're proud of something as meaningless as _that? _You gotta be kiddin' me!'. Compliments from Gary were as rare as catching a Magikarp which knew anything other than how to Splash, but when he did offer them, his words actually carried perfect integrity as he did so, never having any ulterior motive behind them.

"Uhh…thanks…I guess," I replied.

"Though I _have _decided to be a Pokémon Researcher like gramps years ago, hearing about your victory has made me reconsider quitting the life of a trainer. You should probably savour your new position while it lasts, cos' maybe I'll drop by someday to kick you out of there!" he chuckled.

I laughed right back at him, "…You wish, Gary…You wish…"

"Is that a _challenge_, Ashy-boy? Cos' you've got one coming if it is!"

"Oh come on, Gary. You haven't had a serious Pokémon battle in _years_. Your skills would probably be all rusty by now."

"_Oh yeah?"_he yelled, glaring at me

"_Yeah!"_

Mom and Tracey were simply laughing silently in the background, as Gary and I argued like old times. Then, Professor Oak intervened, as he tried to calm down the situation.

"Now, now. Come on you two, settle down," he said.

Gary's glaring look soon turned into one of his trademark smug smiles, as he turned his back to me looking back at the video phone over his shoulder.

"Meh, I was starting to get bored anyway. I'm gonna go back to the research compartment of the lab now. See ya later, Ashy-boy!"

Tracey smiled as he saw Gary and I exchanging mocking glances at each other.

"Well, I guess some things will never change!" he laughed. Professor Oak sighed beside him, as Mom spoke again.

"Ash, honey, I'm thinking of having the party at our house in three days. Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"Of course, mom! I'll make sure to be there!" I replied cheerfully.

"That's great, sweetie! Oh and before you go, I've got one question for you, Ash."

I looked at her in confusion. What could she be curious about?

"…What is it, mom?" I asked, as she leaned in closer to the video phone.

I could tell that the matter was serious, due to the look on her face. I just hoped that nothing was wrong at home while I was gone.

"…_are you still changing your underwear every day?_"

I bent my neck forward as I slapped my forehead with my right hand, covering my eyes as I did so. Trust Mom to embarrass me like this…

"Yeah mom, I am," I groaned, "_every day_…"

"That's good to hear, honey! Well, I'll see you in three days, so rest up until then! The party will start at around 7pm, so don't be late!"

"Alright mom, I'll see you there."

Professor Oak stood up out of his chair, followed by Tracey.

"Well, Tracey and I've got to go now," he said, "We have to go work with Gary to perform maintenance work and update the Pokémon data archives."

"Oh, ok Professor Oak. See you later. Bye, Tracey!"

"Bye Ash, we'll see you soon!" said Tracey.

"Bye honey!" said Mom, "I love you!"

"I love you too, mom. See you soon!"

I turned off the video phone after seeing the picture fade, then made my way to the bathroom. After taking a shower, I sat down at the kitchen table after making myself breakfast and a strong coffee. I turned on the TV, hoping to watch a good show while I ate, but was disappointed, as every single channel was filled with news reports of my victory in the Indigo Plateau. I sighed as I switched the TV off, finishing the rest of my breakfast in silence.

* * *

After my meal, I decided to go over to the PokéCenter to check on Pikachu. As I left my living quarters and locked the door, I looked behind me to see the glass bridge shining brilliantly against the sunlight, causing me to shield my eyes from the blinding light it created.

It took a full minute to cross the bridge before I finally arrived at the PokéCenter, to be greeted by the sight of a scene I knew all too well.

Leaning over the reception counter was Brock, as he held Claire's hands in his own, in yet another vain attempt to woo a Nurse Joy. Claire had a greatly disturbed look on her face, clueless as to how she should react to Brock's attempted courtship.

_Oh, Brock…You'll never change. Not now, not ever…_

"Oh Nurse Joy," he cried, "Your love and care for Pokemon is surpassed only by your celestial beauty, and that beauty is surpassed only by my love for _you!_"

Claire was blushing furiously as Brock continued to talk to her, caressing her hand as he did so. It was then that I decided to snap him out of it, but I soon realized that I didn't need to: his Croagunk popped out of its Pokéball, making Brock squeal as it stunned him with a light Poison Jab attack.

"Hey Brock," I said, "Good to see that you're…getting to know Claire already."

"Claire?" he said in a puzzled way, before going off again with his philandering, "Oh Claire, such a beautiful woman is deserving of an equally beautiful name such as- eeeee!"

Brock then let go of her hand and threw his arms up in the air, wincing in pain after Croagunk jumped on top of his head and pinched him on the ear. Claire held her hand to her mouth, as she softly giggled at the sight of Brock.

"So Ash, are you feeling better now?" Claire asked.

"Yeah. I sure feel stronger now after having a strong cup of coffee. Oh and Claire, thanks a lot for sending in the calls I got, and for taking care of Pikachu."

"Oh don't mention it, Ash. I'm just glad to help!" she cheerfully replied with a smile.

"WHAT? You're telling me that you have Nurse Joy as your secretary? You lucky guy, Ash," Brock said, his eyes teeming with jealousy.

"Uhh, yeah…you _could _say that, I guess," I reluctantly said to him, before I turned to Claire again.

"Anyway, Claire, could I go and see Pikachu again now? I wanna find out how much his condition has improved."

"Oh sure, Ash. And I think that you just might be in for a nice surprise," she responded, smiling as she turned her back to lead the way.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, confused as to what she meant.

"Oh, you'll see," she said, looking back at me over her shoulder, "Follow me!"

Brock and I shrugged at each other, before we started walking behind her towards Pikachu's room.

* * *

As we entered through the door, we were greeted by a sight which brought joy to my heart, as much as it surprised me. Pikachu was standing upright on his bed, looking as energetic as ever as he smiled at me.

"Pikapi!" he called out to me with joy, leaping into my arms as I dazedly caught him.

"Pikachu! You've recovered already? But how?" I wondered.

"Even the medical staff were amazed by his sudden recovery," said Claire, "At first, we expected him to not be able to move around like this until at least tomorrow. All the physical checkups we performed this morning showed that he was in perfect health, which left all of us asking ourselves how on earth he could manage such a feat."

"Well, Pikachu was always one to recover quickly after a battle," said Brock, "None of us really knew why, but I guess it's because of his sheer determination to always be by your side, Ash."

"Pika-Chu!" he cried to Brock, happy to see him again.

"Hey there, old pal. Good to see you too!" Brock said, as he shook Pikachu's paw.

I stood there happily holding Pikachu in my arms as he rubbed his cheek against mine, before it occurred to me once again. Misty. I have to call her.

"Umm, Claire, do you mind if we head back to the reception room again? I've got an important call that I have to make."

"Sure Ash," she replied, "Who to?"

"Misty. I had a bad feeling after we finished talking last night. She looked… sad, for some reason. I wanted to make sure there's nothing wrong with her."

"Alright. Let's get back, then," Claire said as we left the room, Pikachu perched up on my shoulders.

"So, you talked with Misty again, huh?" said Brock, as we walked down the corridors.

"Yeah. I'm worried about her, Brock. She was crying a lot while we talked. I hope she's alright," I said, as I looked down with fear.

"What exactly did you guys talk about anyway?" he asked.

"I dunno if I should really say it, Brock…it's a bit…personal."

"Oh come on, Ash. You can tell me anything. I'm here to help, after all."

"Well, ok, then," I sighed, "When we talked last night, I felt strange. A feeling I had never had before about anyone. I felt…drawn to her, somehow. As she was about to turn the video phone off, I told her to stay, and she did. I then told her that…"

I then stopped, not only in speech but also in my movement, as I stood still in the middle of the corridor.

"Go on, Ash," Brock said softly, puzzled by my actions. I proceeded to walk again, as I continued to tell him of what happened last night.

"I told her that I missed her. How I missed her every night, and cherished her handkerchief and lure more than any of my other possessions. I also told her about how bad I felt about myself after I had failed to defend her from those slimeballs who called themselves the 'Invincible Pokemon Brothers'. After all this, she asked me the reason why I worried and cared about her so much. I told her that it was because she was my best friend, and then she had the most disappointed look on her face that you'd ever see. I've been worried about her ever since that."

"Hmm…I think I know the reason why," Brock said after a moment of pause, holding his chin with his right thumb and forefinger.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Well you see, when you first left to go to the Hoenn region by yourself, Misty and I talked to each other occasionally by video phone. She told me that she loves you and that she misses you every day, but could never tell you exactly how she felt, because she feared that her friendship with you might have been ruined if she did so."

"Is that…really true?" I asked, turning my head towards him.

"Yeah," he replied, looking down as he folded his arms.

"But why didn't you tell me at all while we were traveling through Hoenn? Or _Sinnoh, _for that matter?"

"Because she told me _not _to. She said that she would tell you herself in person one day, but not before she was certain that you felt the same way about her."

"I see…so that's why she asked me about it in the first place…"

* * *

After we returned to the main reception room, Claire went back behind the counter to resume her normal duties, while Brock and I walked over to the Video Phone. As I waited for a response from the Cerulean Gym after dialing its number, my heart began to race with fear and hope. Then finally, the picture came up. But it was not Misty's face which greeted me. It was Daisy, who had picked up the phone from downstairs in the living room of the gym.

"Hello? Oh…hi, Ash," she said, her voice filled with sadness.

"Hi, Daisy. Is there something wrong at the gym? You don't look too good," I replied.

"It's Misty…" she said, as a teardrop fell from her eye, "She's locked herself in her room ever since this morning. We could hear her crying from outside her door, but we can't get to her. She wouldn't even talk to us when we asked her what her problem was…I'm scared, Ash. I dunno what to do…"

My heart sank at that very instant, as I realized that all of this was my fault. But I wouldn't leave her to suffer because of me. I had lost her once already in my dreams – I couldn't bear to think of the possibility of losing her in real life. Right now, there was only one person who could reach out to Misty. _Me._

"Hold on, Daisy," I said, clutching my fist under the table, " I'm coming over there right now on Charizard."

There was no time for goodbyes. I leapt out of my chair and turned off the video phone as Daisy looked at me, her mouth gaping with surprise. I grabbed my gear and Pokéballs, and headed towards the door.

"You coming with me, Brock?" I asked.

"Yeah. Do you have another flying Pokémon who could carry me, other than Charizard?"

I looked through my Pokéballs, only to realise that none of my flying Pokémon were capable of carrying Brock. Charizard wouldn't be able to support both of our weights, Gliscor was far too small, and Staraptor was not big enough to carry him on his back.

"Dammit," I cried, "There are none!"

Brock gave me an understanding nod, as he spoke.

"That's alright. I'll take the train from here to Cerulean. You go on first with Charizard."

"Right. I'll see you there once you arrive," I said, as I ran towards the exit.

"Ash!" Claire yelled out to me, "Where are you going?"

"I've got to go to Cerulean City right now. Misty needs me."

Claire looked at me worriedly, before her eyes changed to give me a reassuring look.

"OK. I'll tell Lance that you left for the Cerulean Gym. He'll call you in a few hours."

"Thanks, Claire. I'll see you again, soon," I said, as I ran towards the doors.

"Oh and Ash," she said, her face now giving me a warm smile again, as I stopped and turned my head to look at her.

"Good luck."

I nodded, before running outside and releasing Charizard from his Pokéball. He let out a mighty roar, being rejuvenated after receiving treatment from the PokéCenter. Pikachu hopped onto my back and clung onto my jacket as I mounted Charizard, ready for takeoff.

"To Cerulean City, Charizard," I instructed him, as he flapped his mighty wings, "As fast as you can."

My pulse raced as Charizard soared through the air, flying at a speed I had never seen before.

_Misty, my love…please hold on. I'm coming for you now._

_

* * *

_

**(switch back to 3rd person narrative)**

Misty lied on her bed, her cheeks deathly pale from exhaustion and depression. She had gotten close to no sleep the previous night, as she cried for hours on end. Her Marill sat downstairs in the living room with Lily and Violet as they all worried about Misty, and wondered what to do with her.

"I can't believe I loved him all this time, only to have my heart broken by him like that," she cried, "My life means nothing to me if he's not there to share it with me. I just can't go on anymore. …"

As she cried, memories of Ash flooded her mind. She then started to sing the melody of a song which she sung almost every night during their travels, as he lay peacefully sleeping close to her.

###

_I wanna tell you what I'm feelin',_

_But I don't know how to start,_

_I wanna tell you but now I'm afraid that you might break my heart,_

_Oh why should anything so easy ever be so hard to do?_

_I wanna tell you what I'm feelin' and to say that…_

_I love you…_

**(From "Misty's Song"- from the live-action show, 'Pokemon Live!')**

###**  
**

The closer she drew towards the end, the tears started to rain down Misty's cheeks, until she could bear them no longer, crying into her pillow once again. Then Daisy, hearing her sister crying from her room, walked over to her door.

"Misty, it's me…" she said softly, so as not to startle her sister.

No reply.

"It's about Ash. He called just now."

Misty became frustrated by the very sound of his name, as she yelled at Daisy.

"I don't want anything to do with him! Now just leave me alone!"

"Misty! He says he's worried about you! He says he's coming to Cerulean from the Indigo Plateau on Charizard this very minute!"

A few seconds after Daisy spoke, a soft rustling could be heard from inside Misty's room. Then, very slowly, the lock on her door unlatched, as she opened it slightly ajar.

"Is he…really coming?" she said, peering at Daisy's face through the small gap of the door.

"Yes! I told him what's been going on with you, and he like, just…_leapt _out of his chair so fast it frightened the crap outta' me."

Misty's eyes widened with shock. Could Ash have worried about her so much that he decided to come for her without even a second thought?

"…Come in, Daisy," she told her sister, as they both sat together on the side of the bed. Daisy then looked at Misty, whose sad eyes reflected her inner turmoil as she looked towards the window.

"Misty," Daisy said, as she softly placed her hand on top of Misty's, "don't take this the wrong way, but I think he loves you."

Misty's eyes darted towards her sister's face the very instant she finished her words.

"What? How could you even say that?"

"Because, I could tell from the way he acted when I told him everything. His eyes started darting from side to side as if he had a nervous breakdown or something. And plus, why would he have said that he's coming down here himself, instead of trying to get me to get you onto the video phone? Believe me, that kinda thing doesn't happen between friends, but people whose relationship is way beyond that. People who are in love."

Misty's expression darkened as she became stricken with guilt. How could she ever have doubted him so?

"Oh, come on, Misty. Don't make it so hard on yourself. Just admit it – you love him too, don't you?"

"…Yes."

Daisy was shocked. She was expecting her sister to give her the same reply she would, every time she, Lily and Violet asked her if Ash was her boyfriend. Every time they did so, she would roar at them, yelling, "He's not my boyfriend! He's a boy and he's a friend, but he's _not _my boyfriend!"

But Misty had just admitted openly to her that she indeed loved him, which now changed everything.

"So…why don't you just tell him, then?"

"I…can't, Daisy. I just can't…he's been my friend ever since we were just 10 years old. My **best** friend. I don't wanna ruin our friendship, just because of my feelings for him."

"Sis, I totally like, get what you're tryna' say, but I just can't stand seeing you miserable like this. You gotta' do this – It's the only way that you're ever gonna' move forward with your life. Just tell him that you love him."

"You really think so?"

Daisy smiled, as she gave Misty an affirming nod.

Misty sat still, as a strange tingling sensation rippled throughout her body. Her energy returned to her, and the passion returned to her eyes, as she regained something which was absent from her since the previous night.

_Hope._

"Alright Daisy," Misty sighed, before her lips drew into newly formed smile, "I'll give it a shot."

Daisy gave her sister a warm hug, before heading back to her own room.

"Good luck, sis…"

**(End of Chapter 6)  
**

* * *

**A/N:** I was thinking about maybe getting Brock to go along with Ash to make sure Misty's fine, but that would've turned out to be an awkward situation, as I wanted the scene to focus purely on Ash and Misty's relationship :S . Anyway, that's Chapter 6 done! Hope you enjoyed it . Please leave your reviews!

*** **I edited the section where Daisy tells Misty about her conversation with Ash, as there were several inaccuracies - i.e: Ash doesn't say anything to her besides telling her that he'll be coming to Cerulean right away. The errors occurred because I actually finished off the last section first in this chapter, and basically forgot to edit it. :S

I was originally going to write what happens in the Cerulean Gym from Misty's POV, but decided against it, because of all the other details I would've had to omit, such as what happens outside Misty's room with her sisters worrying about her, etc. I'll write some first-person accounts for her in the next chapters, though.


	7. Heart for a Heart

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

**A/N2: **There's a few songs I included in this story to make the emotions flow better. You don't necessarily _have _to listen to the songs, but I strongly recommend that you do, so that you can get the proper feel behind the reason the song was used.

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six **in this series.

**Note:** Text written in italics symbolizes the character(s') thoughts. Also in various times, the story will be written alternatively between first and third-person. Brackets with ((character name)'s POV) will be added to represent this. This was done, so that the more emotional moments which the characters experience could be expressed in a more emotional manner.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Heart for a Heart**

**(Ash's POV)**

My hair fluttered against the wind, as Charizard now flew over Mt. Moon. My heart was still pounding as I hoped that Misty would be alright, and that nothing bad had happened to her. But as the rainclouds gathered and the thunder started to roar, I became desperate to get to her all the sooner.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, as the thunder started to roar.

"Pikachu! Get under my jacket, now! Charizard, fly closer to the ground, just above the tree line!" I ordered.

Pikachu scurried from my back to the inside of my jacket, in order to avoid attracting the bolts of lightning which crashed down from the sky, while Charizard slightly descended towards the ground.

Even though we were blinded by thick fog, drenched by torrential rain and bombarded by merciless gusts, I was determined to reach her. Nothing would prevent me from doing so. Then, as the city gates of Cerulean became visible in the distance, my lips cracked a smile. But it disappeared altogether soon after, as Charizard began to waver in the air.

The flame on his tail was growing weaker. He had been feeling the full effects of the torrential rain for a good 15 minutes now as his eyes became dreary, and his breathing was now little more than light pants of air. As powerful and mighty a dragon Charizard was, he still had one weakness which he could never escape from: he would die if the flame on the tip of his tail was extinguished.

"Come on, Charizard, don't give up! It's just a little farther, we're almost there!" I cried.

But it was useless. I panicked as I realized that Charizard would not make it through the stormy weather. I quickly ordered him to land, recalling him into his Pokéball as he did so. After touching down on the ground, I decided to run the rest of the way with Pikachu. The street lights of Cerulean City dimly illuminated the path to the place where she resided, as we drew ever so closer to the doors of the Cerulean Gym…

* * *

**(Misty's POV)**

I lied on my bed as I reflectively looked through a photo album containing pictures of me, Ash and Brock, during our journeys together. While I recalled many of my old memories of him while flicking through the pages, the rain poured gloomily outside my window as the thunder boomed with a crashing roar, frightening Marill who was sitting beside me (*).

"Shh…calm down, Marill. It's alright, I'm here," I said softly, holding her tightly in my arms to make her feel secure. I continued to stroke her sides softly, as I peered over to the clock on my desk.

10:45am. It had been a little over an hour since Daisy came to my room with the news that brought life back to my heart. Finally, after many years of waiting, I would get the chance to see him again.

_He's coming closer. I can feel it. He'll be here soon, and then finally, I'll get to tell him what I really feel about him…I just hope that he, Pikachu and Charizard are alright in all this rain…_

I began to worry about him as the minutes passed, and the downpour of rain became even stronger than it was before. I missed everything about him – his passion, his warmth and his courage… even his possessive eating habits, which I had learned to accept as a part of him, long ago. But the more I waited, I found myself unable to stop thinking about him. I walked over to my desk and looked out the window, as I began to sing.

###

_He drives me crazy,_

_All of the time,_

_He drives me crazy,_

_He drives me out of my mind,_

_So why do I worry 'bout him, why do I care?_

_I don't know why I let it faze me,_

_But he drives me crazy._

_###  
_

_Just go off in your own direction,_

_And see if anybody cares,_

_Just don't come runnin' back to me, Ash Ketchum…_

**(from 'He Drives Me Crazy' – sung by Shauna McCoy)**

**(From the 'Totally Pokémon music CD)**

I stopped midway through my song, as a peculiar figure outside came into my view. I leaned forward and looked more closely, rubbing the glass to erase the whiteness of the condensed water which formed upon it. Far away, I could barely see a figure of a boy running towards the gym, as he continued to be soaked by the endless rain.

_Oh, it must be another trainer looking for shelter. Guess I better tell my sisters._

I walked out of my room and down the corridor to look into Lily's room, to see her lying on her stomach on her bed, talking on her mobile phone.

_She must be having yet __**another**__ conversation with her boyfriend again... How often could they possibly talk to one another during the day? _

I then walked further down to check Daisy and Violet's rooms. Daisy was also lying on her bed as she watched TV, and Violet was innocently asleep while her radio was on.

"Great help you three are around here," I sighed, as I walked back to my window to have another look at the boy making his way to the gym.

I placed my hand upon the windowsill, leaning forward to catch a closer glimpse of his figure. He was wearing a white sweater and t-shirt underneath a long, black trench coat with holsters for his Pokéballs, as well as blue jeans and a pair of white sneakers. His uncovered head of raven-black hair was dampened by the rain, as a Pikachu scurried behind him.

_Raven-black hair…a Pikachu…It couldn't be him…could it?_

I rubbed my eyes, not believing who it was that I saw. But as much as I wanted to doubt it, there was no mistake.

_It's Ash…_

I could feel my heart skip several beats as my hand dropped from the surface of the window and down to my side. Then, without a second thought or even any consideration for the rain, I dashed downstairs to open the door, and greet the love of my life who had finally returned to me.

* * *

**(Ash's POV)**

"Come on, Pikachu! We're almost there!" I yelled, my voice almost drowned out by the relentless rain.

"Pika!"

My heart was racing as I continued to run to the entrance of the gym, which was now barely meters away. Then, to my surprise, the door swung open. Standing at the front porch was Misty, still wearing her night clothes as I stood looking in shock. Suddenly, she ran from the door and wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace, crying as she buried her head in my chest. I hugged her back, stroking her head with my right hand, not saying a single word as I became overwhelmed by emotion. As freezing as my body felt from the icy-cold rain, I had never felt warmer in my entire life as I held her in my arms, treasuring every second of our reunion.

After a few moments, we broke from our hug, placing our hands on the side of each other's arms. She pulled me gently towards the house, after peering over my shoulder to find Pikachu shivering in the rain.

"Come on, Ash. I'll take you inside…" she said, as we moved inside the gym. After she closed the door behind us, Pikachu and I were relieved to get out of the rain, water dripping off of us down onto the carpet below.

"Here. Let me take your coat for you."

I looked behind me as I felt Misty's hands gently pulling the right arm sleeve of my jacket. I blushed as our eyes met, turning my head forward again as she smiled at me.

"Since when did you grow so tall, Ash?" she asked. It never occurred to me while we hugged, but as I looked at her again, I realized that I was now taller than her by a head-length. I blushed and smiled again at her compliment, as I replied.

"No idea, Mist. It must've been all the food that Brock cooked for us during our travels."

She lightly chuckled as she removed my coat and hung it on one of the pegs that lay on the nearby wall.

"Wait here, I'll get a couple of towels and a pair of slippers for you," she said, before walking down the corridor.

A few seconds later she returned, towels and slippers in hand. After handing us towels each, she bent over to place the slippers at my feet. Not wanting to put strain on her, I leaned forward to take the slippers in my hands, our eyes meeting as I did so, causing both of us to blush. She spoke, as we stood up straight again.

"Well, make yourself comfortable in the living room. I'm gonna get changed, and then I'll make some hot chocolate for both you."

"Thanks a lot, Mist. But don't hurry yourself."

"Pikachu-Pi."

"Good to see you again too, Pikachu," Misty smiled at us, before turning around to ascend the stairs to her bedroom.

"Come on, Pikachu. Let's go in," I said softly. Pikachu nodded at me, before trotting ahead in front of me into the living room. I warmed my clothes by the heater before sitting down on the sofa, as we waited for Misty to return. The soft sloshing of the gym's pool could be heard indistinctly, as I closed my eyes and relaxed on the cushions. Then, minutes later, Misty entered the living room holding a small tray which contained three mugs of hot chocolate, as she wore a red furry jumper.

"Here you go," she said, handing us our mugs.

"Thanks, Mist."

"Pikapi."

She set her own mug down on top of the coffee table as she sat down on the couch next to me, making me feel slightly uneasy as she did so. We had never sat alone beside each other so close, which currently made me feel slightly short of breath. I looked at her face as she looked at me with another warm smile on her lips.

She looked so beautiful. Even more so now that I was sitting next to her in person, than when I saw her on the video phone at the Indigo Plateau. Her hair was fragrant with a strawberry scent, and her crystal-like cerulean eyes shined brighter than diamonds as I was enthralled by their beauty.

My eyes averted from her as a round, blue Pokémon made its way towards us from the door.

"Marill!" it cried, happy to see me and Pikachu again.

"Pikapika!" Pikachu replied, taking one more sip from his hot chocolate before running off to play with Marill. The two of them joyfully played with one another with a small beach ball by the side of the pool, as Misty and I looked on smiling.

"Ash…" she spoke softly.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming all this way for me…I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it, Mist. You were always there for me when I needed _you._ Now it's my turn to look after you in return."

She smiled at me before resting her head gently upon my shoulder, closing her eyes as I hugged her softly with my free hand, perching my chin lightly on her head.

"Mist," I said in a more serious tone, as I set down my mug on the coffee table in front of us, "the truth is...I came here…to tell you something very important."

"…What is it, Ash?" she asked, looking up at my face from my shoulder.

"Remember last night, when I said that I cared about you because you're my best friend? ...Well, the truth is, now that I think about it, it may be for a different reason altogether," I told her. She looked at me with confusion, as I continued to speak.

"Do you also remember what you said on the day that we separated and you returned to Cerulean, when your sisters had announced their world trip?" I asked.

She looked away from me and down onto the floor, as she recalled her memories of that day.

* * *

***Start Flashback* (3rd-person)**

Misty strolled her bike along the dirt road leading away from Viridian City, as Ash and Brock walked alongside her. The warm afternoon sunshine beamed upon them, giving little comfort to the three trainers who knew that their time together was soon to come to an end. Misty smiled as she looked at her newly repaired bike, memories of the day she met Ash vivid in her mind.

"It's because of this bike that I met Ash!" Togepi, it was a coincidence that you and I met, too!"

"Togiii!" the small Pokémon cried.

"Ours wasn't coincidence," Ash said, as Misty turned her head to look at him in surprise, "I don't believe it could be just a coincidence that I met you, out of all people!"

"What do you mean, Ash?" Misty asked.

"I guess what I mean is…even though that happened," he replied, looking at her in the eyes, "I think that we were meant to meet and become friends!"

***End Flashback***

**

* * *

**

**(Ash's POV again)**

"As we talked last night on the video phone, I remembered the time when we had to go our separate ways. But during that night, something finally dawned to me…" I murmured.

"…What?" she asked, placing her hand gently on top of mine on the sofa.

"After I spoke to you, I realized that the one thing I was looking for my entire life had always been right in front of my eyes, yet I couldn't see it. Something that I longed for and loved, more than any victory or any title – even that of Pokemon Master."

Her eyes widened as I looked at her face again. A single teardrop glistening on her eyelid, as my fear of expressing my true feelings for her vanished altogether. I held her palm with my left hand and raised her chin softly with my right, as I looked her in the eyes and spoke to her.

"You."

A shocked expression was on her face as she slowly broke away from me on the sofa, her entire body starting to tremble.

_Oh no…what have I done? What if Brock was wrong? What if she feels differently about me now, after we had so many years apart? This was a bad idea to begin with…I shouldn't have told her that._

I looked down in disappointment, burying my head in my hands. Then, deciding that the best thing for me to do was to leave, I got up from the sofa and turned away.

"I'm sorry, Mist. I didn't mean to confuse you with all the stuff that I've said to you. Maybe it would be best if I just…leave right now," I said, before walking off slowly towards the pool to call Pikachu.

But then, I was given the surprise of my life, as I could feel Misty tugging my arm hard from behind. The force was so great that I landed dazedly next to her again on the couch, looking at her in confusion. The tears were still rolling down her cheeks, but her lips formed not a frown, but the happiest smile that I had ever seen her make in our lives. She raised her hands to my face, gently caressing my cheek before pulling me softly towards her. It was then that our lips locked together, for our very first kiss…

**(End of chapter 7)**

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's it for Chapter 7! Sorry if the ending seemed a bit 'rushed', but I put the stuff that was originally gonna be here in the next chapter, so that this chapter would end with a cliffhanger. ^^

(*): Although Misty has an Azurill which hasn't evolved yet in the anime, I'm stating that it's a Marill in this fic and its planned sequels, as it has been a few years since Misty was on the anime, and her Azurill would've certainly evolved by the time she's 18.

**Note:** I'm really struggling to find time to work on this story, now that my school term has started again. I'll try my best to upload a chapter or two each week, though.

Please leave your reviews, and if you would be so kind, also put this story in your Communities/C2s if you like it!


	8. Love and Heartbreak

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

**A/N: **There's a few songs I included in this story to make the emotions flow better. You don't necessarily _have _to listen to the songs, but I strongly recommend that you do, so that you can get the proper feel behind the reason the song was used.

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six **in this series.

**Note:** Text written in italics symbolizes the character(s') thoughts. Also in various times, the story will be written alternatively between first and third-person. Brackets with ((character name)'s POV) will be added to represent this. This was done, so that the more emotional moments which the characters experience could be expressed in a more emotional manner.

**(New) Character Ages:** Violet (26), Lily (24)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Love and Heartbreak**

**(Ash's POV)**

I lay on the sofa stunned as Misty held my face, giving me a warm, emotional kiss. Her tears fell onto my face as they rolled down from her eyes, as our cheeks rubbed together. However, the nervous shaking in my arms soon turned into a passionate embrace as I held her tightly, leaning backwards on the left arm of the sofa. I caressed the side of her head gently with my right hand while I held onto her back with my left, her hands falling onto my chest as she lay on top of me.

It felt like heaven. We closed our eyes as we continued to share in each other's warmth, our lips locking vigorously with heated breaths. The last few years of anguish, longing and sadness were far behind us, as the one dream that we both had for so long, now finally came true. We were in love.

"Since when did you feel about me this way?" she asked, stroking my cheeks softly as we broke apart temporarily.

"Since the very moment I met you. Though I was too young and naïve to understand it back then."

She chuckled before she kissed me lightly on the ear and whispered.

"Not to mention too _dense_, as well."

She pinched me gently as I grinned, kissing her lips while our hands skimmed up and down each other's backs. We continued to make love to each other passionately on the sofa, oblivious to all that was going on in our surroundings. Most unfortunate for us, was that we hardly heeded the soft echo of footsteps coming from the direction of the staircase, which drew closer and closer towards the living room where we were…

"Hi there!" a cheerful voice suddenly called out, causing us to break our contact and jolt towards opposite ends of the couch.

We turned our heads around quickly to see who it was. Lily stood just behind the couch, her hands on the frame of the sofa as she leaned over to see us in our dazed state.

"Oh, don't mind me!" she smiled, "It's good to see that the two of you are…getting to know each other again!"

Lily giggled as she held her hand to her mouth, finding it very difficult to keep down her laughter.

"What does _that _mean, Lily! That's such a _disgusting_ thing to say!" Misty barked, glaring at her pink-haired sister.

"Hey, hey, calm down, Misty! Come on! It's not every day that I see you like this, right? Plus, your boyfriend just like, totally came back! This is so exciting!" she laughed.

"_He's __**not **__my boyf-._" Misty roared back, before withdrawing to a silenced hush, "Well…I guess he is, now, actually…there's probably no point in denying it any further…"

"Oh, don't worry, sis. It's no problem. I'm just glad the two of you finally got together, that's all."

Misty blushed, her cheeks going red with embarrassment as she closed her eyes and turned her head back onto my shoulder, smiling cheekily as she did so.

"Lily, is there something going on down there?" came a familiar voice from upstairs, "Why is Misty screaming her head off?"

Misty's eyes jolted open again as she sat up from the couch. Daisy and Violet were now coming down the stairs with sleepy faces, roused from their beds by the commotion in the living room. As they entered the room and saw us together, they both erupted into a hysterical state.

"_Oh my God! Her boyfriend's really really here!"_ Violet cried, as they both covered their cheeks with their hands in awe.

"Ohhh, they're finally together! This is _sooo_ romantic!" Daisy exclaimed.

"Uhh…Hi, I guess," I said, clueless as to what to do in this current situation I was in.

"We always _knew _that you two would become lovers one day!" Lily said dreamily.

I chuckled gently, as the three Sensational Sisters all stood together, saying nothing as they looked dreamily at the two of us.

"So anyway, Ash," said Daisy, breaking the silence, "I'm really thankful that you came here."

"We all are," added Violet, before Daisy continued.

"We were all so scared when we just simply couldn't reach out to Misty while she locked herself in her room. Nothing at all worked before I told her that you were coming for her. That's when she opened up to us again," she smiled.

"Don't mention it, Daisy," I said to her, then turning my face to Misty, "It's not like I would've abandoned her in this kind of state."

Misty blushed at me, squeezing my hand with affection.

"Oh yeah, how is it to live in the Indigo Plateau?" asked Lily.

"The place is really great, that's for sure. I've never been in such a first-class facility in my life! But still, while I was there, I felt that something was…_missing, _somehow."

"Awww, that's so cute! He loves her so much!" cried Violet, having a wild guess at the 'something' I was referring to.

"Yeah…" I replied, chuckling, "I guess that she was exactly what I was longing for last night."

We all sat and talked for which would surely become the most embarrassing time of my life, as Misty's sisters continued to ask us questions about our future together, such as what we intended to do as a couple. They had even gone as far as to ask us what names we would give if we ever had children, making us both feel extremely uncomfortable. Things were only made worse when Pikachu and Marill returned from the pool, laughing cheekily as Daisy told them about our new love.

* * *

**(An hour later)**

Finally, the storm had cleared out, as the sunlight shined bleakly through the clouds. Rejoicing at the new weather, Daisy, Violet and Lily went up the stairs, telling us that they were getting ready to go shopping downtown, leaving the two of us alone with Pikachu and Marill. Misty and I both let out sighs of relief, as the enormous amount of tension we had endured was finally lifted from our minds.

"So Ash, what do you wanna do now?" Misty asked, leaning onto my shoulder.

"Well, why don't we also go outside for a bit? It'll be good for the Pokémon to spend some time outside their Pokéballs, now that the rain has stopped," I suggested.

"That's a good idea, Ash! Come on, Marill!" she smiled, lifting Marill from her lap and placing the blue Pokémon on the floor, next to her.

"Let's go, Pikachu!" I said.

"Pika!"

"Marill!" the two Pokémon rejoiced, as they scampered off in front of us again while we watched them.

We got out through the back door of the gym after Misty had collected her Pokéballs, and headed towards the shore of the lake, where Cerulean Cape could be seen far away. As we stood on the bank of the lake, it was exactly how it looked in my nightmare last night, as a slight touch of fear returned to my mind as I remembered what I saw. But I soon decided to let that fear pass, as I looked at Misty who stood by my side, looking vibrant with happiness.

We released our Pokémon from their Pokéballs. Charizard, Staraptor and Gliscor took the chance to flex their wings, Staraptor and Gliscor practicing synchronized aerial attacks, while Charizard carried out his own exercise of various fire moves whilst flying in the air. Sceptile and Glalie set themselves on the ground and made acquaintances with Misty's Psyduck, Politoed and Marill, as Pikachu introduced them to each other. And on the lake, Misty's Corsola, Starmies (*), Seaking (*), Caserin, Seadra (*), Dewgong and Gyarados swam alongside each other peacefully in the cool water of the lake.

Minutes later, Daisy opened the back door from where we came out, announcing the three sisters' departure.

"Hey Misty, we're going out now! Take good care of the place while we're gone!" she called out.

"Okay Daisy, have a good time!" Misty responded.

After Daisy closed the door, our eyes averted back to the glittering lake, as the clouds scattered to make way for the warm rays of sunshine which beamed down upon us. We lied on the grass together, Misty laying her head and hands on top of my chest like I was her pillow, as I stroked her head gently with my fingers.

* * *

Half an hour later, I squeezed her arm gently to wake her from the light nap she had fallen into.

"Hey Mist," I whispered into her ear, "Sorry to wake you, but why don't we leave our Pokémon out here to play, and head back inside? I think Brock will be here soon."

"Brock? Really? Is he coming as well?" she responded in a surprised way.

"Yeah. He was with me when I called for you at the gym and Daisy picked up, and got worried as well when we heard about what was going on. I wanted him to come with me at the same time, but Staraptor wasn't strong enough to carry either of us now that we've grown, and Charizard couldn't have supported both our weights."

Misty chuckled at me, "Ash, didn't I always tell you not to go overboard with food every time you eat?"

"Hey, what are you talking about?" I laughed, nudging her, "I took care of myself pretty well in terms of shape when you weren't with me!"

"Oh, sure…" she smiled, giving me a peck on the cheek as I helped her to her feet, "come on then, let's go back."

"Alright, Mist," I said, before turning my head around to call out to our Pokémon, "Hey guys, we'll be inside waiting for Brock to get here. Don't go wandering off too far from here, okay?"

"Char."

"Starr~"

"Gliscorr."

"Shoaa!"

Charizard, Staraptor, Gliscor and Gyarados cried back to us as they nodded, signifying that they would watch over the group in our absence.

To pass the time before Brock arrived, we decided to sit down together watch a movie in the living room. However, around 40 minutes into the movie, we both started to get sleepy; my journey here from the Indigo Plateau on top of Charizard had taken its toll, and Misty had hardly gotten any sleep last night. As our eyes grew heavy, our shoulders and heads slumped against one another. Then, as we were both about to fall soundly asleep, we were jolted by the sudden ringing of the doorbell.

"That must be Brock," I said, getting off the sofa, "I'll get it, Mist. You get some more rest."

"No way!" she exclaimed, startling me with her sudden surge of energy, "I haven't seen the two of you for years! I'm coming with you."

I smiled at her, taking her by the hand as we walked over to the front entrance together. Standing before us as we opened the door was Brock. He was panting heavily as he looked at the floor, his hands gripping onto his knees.

"Ash! I ran here-from the station-as fast as-I could," he said, gasping for breath between his words, "Is Misty-alright?"

Misty and I couldn't help but let out small chuckles, as Brock looked like he would collapse in a heap at any second.

"Hi there, Brock!" Misty laughed, leaning forward and giving him a hug as she raised his back from his position, "It's been too long since I last saw you!"

"Uhh…Hi, Misty…I guess that means…you're fine now?" Brock said as he stood in shock, taking multiple seconds to come back to his senses before returning Misty's hug.

"What happened, Misty?" he asked, bewildered by Misty's cheerful mood, "last time I checked, Daisy said that you locked yourself in your room and wouldn't come out!"

"Yeah. But after Ash came all the way here for me from the Indigo Plateau," she said, before wrapping her hands around me for another kiss, "everything turned out for the best."

Brock stood still, staring with his mouth agape.

"Hey, then does that mean that the two of you are now…" he stammered, pointing his finger weakly at us.

"Mmhm," I nodded.

"Oh my God! That's great, guys. I'm so happy for the two of _yoooouuu_!" Brock cried before he wailed, as Croagunk burst out of its Pokéball again to poke him painfully in the side with its Poison Jab, causing Misty to giggle softly.

"Don't mention it, Brock. Come in! We were watching a movie," she said.

"Oww…Alright," Brock replied as he forced a smile to hide the pain in his sides, following us inside to the living room.

"Oh yeah…Brock, why don't you go out the back door and let your Pokémon out from their Pokéballs? Our Pokémon are all together at the lakeside," I suggested.

"Ok, Ash. I'll go out there right now," he agreed as he walked over to the back, releasing his Sudowoodo, Croagunk and Chansey, who quickly ran off to join the others. He returned later and sat on the sofa with us, as we watched the rest of the film.

* * *

**(Hours later)**

As the movie finished and the credits started to roll, we looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, which now read 6 o'clock.

"Well, that was great! We better start getting ready for dinner now, guys," Misty smiled, as she got up from the sofa.

"OK, Misty," said Brock, "Lead me to the kitchen and I'll get started!"

"Oh, that's alright, Brock. I'll make dinner today. Why don't you prepare food for the Pokémon?" Misty smiled.

Brock and I both sat in silence, our mouths gaping wide with blank expressions on our faces as we looked at her. If there was anything that was more frightening to experience than Misty when she was in a fury, it was the trauma that her cooking would give to anybody who would dare to eat it.

We both waved our palms wildly in front of us, as we pleaded with her.

"Oh no, Misty, that's ok!" I cried.

"Yeah! Honestly! I'll cook for everyone, so don't strain yourself!" Brock joined in.

"What, you think a girl can't learn a thing or two about cooking over the years?" Misty growled, as she walked into the kitchen and put an apron around her waist.

We could only hope that what she said would prove to be true, shuddering as we got off the couch and followed her into the kitchen. Brock was busy collecting ingredients to make food for the Pokémon from the pantry, while Misty looked in the fridge, wondering what to cook.

"Mist, is there anything that you want me to do?" I asked her.

"I'm thinking about eating outside with all the Pokémon. Can you go into the storage room to get the folding chairs and table, and set them up outside?" she said, lifting her head above the open fridge door to look at me.

"Sure thing, Mist," I said, kissing her on the cheek as I left.

After carrying the plastic chairs and table from the storage room and setting them up outside the back door, I headed back into the kitchen to collect the knives and forks from the drawers and placed them on the table. Then, I headed down towards the shore to where the Pokémon were all gathered together.

"Hey guys, dinner will be ready in just a few minutes, so stay together until then!" I called out to them.

"Pikachu!"

"Psy!"

I returned to the table and sat on a chair, closing my eyes as I lay enjoying the cool evening breeze. The sun was still setting, as it painted the horizon with a passionate orange hue.

Minutes later, Misty called out to me from the kitchen, startling me from my rest.

"Ash, We're coming out with the food. Can you open the door for us?" she asked.

"Sure, Mist," I replied.

I held the door open for her as she walked out holding a serving tray with three dishes, followed by Brock who carried several plastic containers of Pokémon food. Misty smiled as she handed me a bottle ketchup for Pikachu, as I helped Brock carry the containers down to the shore of the lake. Staraptor, Gliscor and all of the land-based Pokémon were gathered around Charizard whose tail burned brightly above the sand, as Misty's Pokémon in the water watched patiently as we walked towards them.

After distributing the Pokémon food and handing Pikachu the bottle of ketchup, I returned with Brock to the table to sit with Misty.

As we looked at the table, we were surprised by just what was served on our dishes. Sitting in front of us was medium-rare steak, roast potatoes, boiled carrots, green beans and gravy, the aroma of the food truly irresistible as we sat looking at our plates in awe.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she laughed, "dig in!"

Brock and I cautiously brought a piece of meat to our mouths with our forks, hands trembling as we braced ourselves for a possible nightmare. But after the food had entered our mouths, we sat dumbfounded; our minds took aback by the surprise of our lives.

It was delicious. The juicy meat seemed to melt in my mouth, and the vegetables and gravy were perfectly cooked. For the first time ever, I was even tempted to say that I liked Misty's cooking more than Brock's.

"Wow Misty, this food is really great!" I complimented.

"I told you I've improved, didn't I?" she replied as she grinned at me.

I smiled, eating another mouthful of meat and potatoes before I raised my head again to look at her.

"So, you still haven't gotten over your dislike of carrots, huh?" I chuckled as I saw Misty's plate, noticing the lack of carrots on it.

"Yeah," she replied, "Or peppers or bugs, for that matter. Though I'm alright now with the _cuter_ bug Pokémon, like Butterfree and Beautifly."

"Mm…" I responded, remembering a friend I had lost contact with, many years ago.

"Ash?" Misty murmured.

"What is it, Mist?"

"You miss Butterfree…don't you?"

"Yeah," I sighed, "I wish I could see some of my old Pokémon I had released on my journeys, again…Butterfree and Pidgeot, to name a few."

"Don't worry, Ash," Brock assured me, "I'm sure they're doing just fine."

"You're right, Brock. I shouldn't worry," I smiled, as I continued to eat.

It was then that I remembered… The party…

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot…Mist, Brock, how would you like to come and visit Pallet Town again with me?" I asked.

"Sure thing, Ash!" Brock said cheerfully.

"Of course, Ash, I'd love to!" Misty smiled, "But what's the occasion?"

"My mom's having a party in three days, to celebrate my…you know…" I stammered, not wanting to sound like my old arrogant self to them.

"Great! That sounds like a really good idea. I'll be sure to be there!" Brock beamed.

"I'll come as well," Misty said, "It's been so long since I saw your mom, and she's been like my own mother to me while you were gone."

"Really? You're that close with my mom?" I asked her.

"Of course!" she laughed, "It was so nice to get to talk to her often on the video phone. She always looked out for me and showed a lot of concern whenever we had any sort of problem here at the gym. I always appreciated her when we spoke. She's such a nice person!"

"Well, that's great to hear, Misty," I said.

As we happily continued with our meal, we were suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the video phone from the living room. Suspecting that the call was from Lance, I got out of my seat and started to walk over to answer it.

"Why is he going to answer it? Shouldn't I?" I heard Misty ask Brock from behind me.

"The Nurse Joy at the Indigo Plateau said to us when we were about to leave, that she would tell Lance that Ash had to leave temporarily," he replied, "Lance must be calling now to check up on him."

* * *

I walked up to the video phone and peered to the side to see the location where the call was coming from. As I suspected, it was from the Indigo Plateau.

"Hi, Ash. It's me," Lance said, his picture coming up on the monitor as I picked up the phone.

"Hi, Lance. Claire told me that you'd call sometime," I answered.

"Yeah. She told me how you took off immediately after calling the Cerulean Gym. Is Misty alright?"

"She'll be fine now. We're eating dinner at the moment."

"That's good to hear," Lance said as he blinked slowly.

"Hey Lance, I was wondering…but is it ok if I took a few weeks' leave from the Indigo Plateau? It's been _years _since I was with Misty in person and well, I think I should spend a bit of time with her... And my mom says there's gonna be a party for me back at Pallet Town in three days."

Lance lowered his head as he briefly gave thought to the current situation, before facing me again.

"Alright, Ash," he said, "You can have two weeks' leave as of today. You can return anytime you want, by the end of that period."

"Thanks, Lance," I smiled.

"But there's _one _condition that I should warn you about," he spoke sternly, his expression becoming slightly darkened as he continued.

"Listen. The rules of the Indigo Plateau state that if the Champion is absent without leave from the Indigo Plateau, then it is assumed that he or she has chosen to resign from the post. You've gotta return by the time your two weeks are over, Ash. I can't extend your leave period any further beyond that . Otherwise you'll automatically lose your post as Champion, if you don't return."

"But what about…Misty?"

"Misty?" he asked confusedly, "What about her?"

"Well…She's my girlfriend now. Would it be ok if I…brought her along with me?"

My hopes faded into dismay, as I saw Lance shake his head gently.

"I'm sorry, Ash. That can't be done. The Indigo Plateau is strictly forbidden as a residence, besides for the Champion, the Elite Four, and the staff who work here. No exceptions."

I didn't respond to him for several seconds, as I felt devastated by what he said. I realised now that my days together with Misty were limited…

"Alright, Lance," I sighed, "I understand…I'll make sure to be there by then."

"Ok, Ash. Well, goodnight I guess. I hope you have a nice two weeks."

"Thanks, Lance. I'll see you then."

I turned off the video phone, walking back to the dining table heavy-hearted. I let out a deep sigh as I closed the back door behind me, sitting down heavily into my chair as I rejoined Misty and Brock at the table.

"What's wrong, Ash? Are you alright?" Brock asked, as Misty gave me a concerned look.

"Don't worry, Brock, it's nothing," I insisted, "I'm just really tired, that's all."

The two of them nodded slightly at me with concern still lingering in their eyes, before we continued to eat.

* * *

**(20 minutes later)**

After finishing dinner, Misty took the dishes and cutlery back to the kitchen and washed them, while Brock and I collected the empty containers of Pokémon food as well as the plastic table and chairs. Once we had packed and cleaned everything up, we each recalled our Pokémon into their Pokéballs, as Pikachu and Marill followed us back inside.

We sat in the living room and talked together for an hour, before Brock decided that it was time for him to go.

"Well, that was great you guys. Thanks a lot for dinner, Misty. Now I have to get back home to Pewter!" he said, walking over to the front door as we followed him.

"Are you sure, Brock?" Misty asked, "It's getting quite late. Why don't you stay here overnight?"

"Nah, I'll be fine, Misty. Besides, I told my parents that I'd be back by this evening. And I also have to see how my new breeding centre is coming along."

"Huh? You mean…you finally opened your very first breeding centre?" I asked.

"Yeah. Just a few patrons turned up to leave their Pokémon temporarily at the centre during the first week, but after that, many more people started to come as well. I guess Pewter City really needed a breeding centre to begin with," he explained.

"Ok then Brock, good luck with that. Take care of yourself," I nodded.

"You too, Ash. Well, I guess I'll see you guys at the party. See ya then!" Brock waved goodbye, as he departed.

"Bye, Brock!" we called out to him as we stood by the door watching, until he was no longer in sight.

"So Mist, what should we do now?" I asked her as she closed the door behind us.

"I'm rather tired now, Ash…why don't we call it an early night and go to bed?" she yawned as she clung her hands around the back of my neck.

I shuddered at her remark, looking at her in terror as I stammered.

"Uhh, Mist…what do you mean, 'we'? Surely you don't mean- -aaah!" I wailed, as Misty tugged my arm, signalling me to follow her up the stairs as she took Marill in her arms. Pikachu leapt upon my back, as I started to walk behind her.

"Don't worry, Ash. I've got a double bed in my room. Besides, the sofa downstairs is not comfortable at all to sleep on overnight. Believe me, I know," she said.

"O-ok…"

She led me to the bathroom, handing me a new toothbrush pack to use, as we brushed our teeth and washed our faces before heading off to bed. Misty was the first to slide herself under the bed sheets, as she laid next to the wall. Pikachu and Marill hopped onto the foot of the bed, as they grabbed a small woollen blanket and pulled it over themselves.

"What are you waiting for, Ash? Come in!" she said, as I stood having second thoughts about joining her.

Then, reluctantly, I took my place beside her. A shiver rippled through my spine as I felt her legs tangling with mine, as she pulled me closer. But after a few nervous seconds, I started to appreciate her company, as we snuggled in the bed.

She then pulled the lamp handle as all went dark, save for the moonlight from the sky above.

"Goodnight, Ash," she whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Mist," I replied, kissing her on the lips, "sweet dreams."

She smiled at me as she closed her eyes, her head sinking delicately into her pillow.

I stayed awake for a few minutes, watching over her and the Pokémon as they rested peacefully. Once I became convinced that they were all soundly asleep, I carefully got out of bed taking care not to wake her, and walked over to the window.

I looked out to behold the cloudless night sky glittered with radiant stars, as the lights of Cerulean City left the streets beautifully illuminated with white light. Lance's words echoed in my mind as I hung my head and slowly began to weep, placing my palm upon the window.

_I could never tell her. I couldn't bear to see such sadness in her eyes as I have already seen... _

I peered over my shoulder to look at Misty, whose angelic face was illuminated by the moonlight. The very thought of not being with the love of my life tore my heart in two, as I dreaded the day that my time with her would come to an end…

**(End of chapter 8)**

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that's the end of Chapter 8. I'm glad it's finished now – it's taken a lot of energy out of me. Please leave your reviews! :)

(*) – Like Marill in the previous chapter, I assumed that after all the seasons that Misty was away for, her Staryu would've evolved into a second Starmie, with all the trainers coming to face her in the Cerulean Gym. Same with Goldeen Seaking, and Horsea Seadra, etc.

I've updated this chapter, adding just one change which reflects Brock's Happiny evolving to Chansey, in Pokemon DP 190.

And don't forget – you can check regularly on the progress of this story, by looking at the bottom of my profile page, at the ***Notifications section regarding upcoming stories/chapters*** section.


	9. Running Into Old Friends

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six **in this series.

**Note:** Text written in italics symbolizes the character(s') thoughts. Also in various times, the story will be written alternatively between first and third-person. Brackets with ((character name)'s POV) will be added to represent this. This was done, so that the more emotional moments which the characters experience could be expressed in a more emotional manner.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Running Into Old Friends**

The morning sun shined onto my closed eyes, causing me to dazedly rustle and roll around in the bed until my lips came into contact with Misty, who lay beside me. We both opened our eyes slowly, as she was awoken by the soft kiss we now found ourselves in.

"Uhh, good morning, Mist," I said, chuckling as I move back slightly.

"Good morning Ash," she replied softly, before grabbing the sides of my arms as she rolled us sideways, lying on top of my chest whilst facing me. She kissed me gently on the lips, smiling as I stroked her back.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked.

"To be honest? A little short of breath right now," I answered with a cough.

Misty grinned, drawing herself off my chest as she placed her knees alongside each side of my waist. She caressed the back of my head with her hands while I rubbed her back with my own, oblivious to the fact that Pikachu and Marill were woken by us, watching intently from the foot of the bed.

Then as we continued, the sound of footsteps approaching Misty's room could be heard from out the door. Neither of us moved, too shocked by the thought of being seen like this together, as the door gently swung open.

"Mist, breakfast is ready and- eek!" Lily gasped, shocked by the sight of Misty bending over me as she entered the room. Our mouths were agape as we stared at her, not knowing what to do.

"Lily!" Misty shouted after a few seconds of silence, "This isn't how it looks!"

"Umm, never mind! I didn't see anything! Promise!" Lily cried, quickly shutting the door in panic as she ran back downstairs.

"Pikapi?"

"Marr?"

Pikachu and Marill both yawned, turning their heads to us confusedly. Misty and I both let out sighs of disappointment as we got out of bed, dreading the awkward encounter with her sisters that we would soon have to go through.

"We're so busted," she sighed.

"Well, it could've been worse," I said, "I just hope that the three of them don't go crazy if Lily tells them about it."

"If you think that she _won't _tell them, _clearly_,you don't know my sister…" she moaned, knocking me lightly on the head with her pillow in frustration before she hugged it tightly, burying her face into it with fear.

"Well, we better get going downstairs now, Mist. No point in putting it off any further. It's best that we get it over and done with," I declared, rubbing the side of her arm before I moved to the window to embrace the warm sunlight. Misty then placed her pillow back onto the bed, as she walked over to Pikachu and Marill.

"Hey you two, did you get a good night's rest?" she smiled, crouching down before the bed in front of them. She caressed both Pokémon delicately, as they each hugged one of her hands.

A thought suddenly came into my mind as I looked out the window, causing me to slap my forehead in realisation. I turned to Misty again, speaking reluctantly to her due to the embarrassment that the conversation would cause me.

"Hey Mist, it's just occurred to me, but there's still something that I'm gonna need if I'm gonna stay here for the next two days…" I spoke hesitantly.

"What?" she asked as she peered over her shoulder to me.

"You know…" I said, glancing down towards my waist. Misty looked at my eyes puzzlingly for a few seconds, before glancing down to where I was looking. Her face then turned into an exasperated expression as she realised just what I was thinking about.

"Oh _God_, I should've remembered," she groaned, slapping her forehead with her hand, "you can't be wearing the _same _underwear _all day!"_

"Well, what can I do about it?" I questioned, lightly chuckling at how quickly she figured it out.

"You'll have to go down to a shop somewhere and buy some new pairs to last the next two days," she said, "And you have to buy some other clothes as well! As much as I love you, I'm not going to stand it if you stink up the house with your body odour from wearing the same clothes day in and day out, Ash Ketchum! Let alone sleep in the same bed as you."

"Alright, alright!" I chuckled, holding her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek, as she cooled her temper. The speed at which she calmed down then left me wondering…why hadn't I ever thought of doing this whenever she erupted into a tantrum while we were travelling together?

"Good," she responded calmly, kissing me on the neck as I moved towards the door, "So around what time are you thinking of going to get them?"

"Uhh," I stuttered, "I don't know where the shops are…"

Misty sighed, digging her head into my arm as we left the room together. Pikachu and Marill trailed along, sniggering at us quietly behind our backs.

"Come on. I'll take you there after breakfast," she said as we walked towards the staircase, before speaking again in an almost unintelligible whisper.

"What am I ever gonna do with you…"

I sniggered at her remark, following behind her as she descended the stairs. The soft clanging of cutlery could be heard from the kitchen, as well as the chatter of the three sisters who sat together at the kitchen table. Misty entered the room first, as I hesitated behind her.

* * *

"Hey sis, how are you this morning?" Daisy said, seeing Misty enter as she opened the door.

"_Great_, Daisy. I haven't felt this good for a long time!" Misty smiled cheerfully, as Marill made its way past her and into the kitchen, receiving food from Violet at the table.

"I wonder why _that _would be," Lily snickered, drawing a glare from Misty.

I quietly slinked up behind her, looking over her shoulder as their eyes darted towards me.

"Oh!" Violet cried, as she saw me coming down with Misty, "Well I guess that explains it! Did the two of you like, sleep together in Misty's bed or something? Cos' when Lily came down the stairs, she had a _seriously _weird look on her face."

The three sisters all started to giggle, as they looked at us standing next to each other.

"Umm, about that…well…yeah, I guess we did," I said, grinning with my hand on the back of my head before Misty paralysed me with a swift jab on the side, as her fiery glare now turned to Violet.

"Hey, chill out, sis!" Violet cried, intimidated by Misty's death stare, "It's no biggie. We actually think that's kinda cute! Besides, better to get used to it sooner rather than later, if you're gonna possibly end up marrying him, after all."

Misty then groaned as she walked over to the kitchen, pretending that she didn't hear Violet's final remark. She grabbed a bowl, spoon, the milk carton and the cereal box which lay on top of the counter, before taking her seat next to Lily at the table. After doing the same, I pulled up a chair next to Misty and took my place beside her. Pikachu leaped up onto my lap after I sat down, as Daisy handed him a piece of toast which he started to happily nibble on.

"Uhh, just so you know," I informed them as we ate, "I'll be staying here for the next two days until we go back to visit Pallet Town, if that's alright with the three of you."

"_We_? You mean…you're going _with_ him?" Lily asked Misty.

"Mmhm," she nodded, "I'm thinking about staying with him and his mom at his house, for a few days."

"Oh, that's so sweet! Well, I hope you two enjoy yourselves while you're there!" Daisy winked.

Misty fumed as she closed her eyes, knowing just what was going on in her sister's mind as she spoke.

As we finished our breakfast, Misty and I got up from our seats, walking to the door after putting our bowls and spoons in the sink.

"Well, I guess we should get going soon, Mist," I said.

"Oh, you're going out? Where are the two of you going off together?" Daisy asked.

"To the department store," Misty replied, "we're going… _clothes shopping_."

"Sounds great, sis! We'll see you back soon!" Violet smiled.

I grinned at her with my back turned to her sisters, grateful that she didn't disclose _all _the details on why we were going out.

* * *

We left the kitchen area and headed back upstairs, so that Misty could get ready to go out. After arriving back in her room, I reattached my Pokébelt to my waist, as Pikachu, Marill and I sat patiently on the bed for twenty minutes, waiting for her before she returned from taking a shower.

"Took you long enough," I chuckled as she entered the room.

"Nothing compared to how long it takes to wake _you _up in the morning, mister," she mocked back, pinching me gently on the cheek.

"…point taken," I conceded, remembering that my love of sleep had always frustrated Brock, May, Max and Dawn in the mornings, while we travelled together.

"Umm, could I have some privacy please?" she asked.

"Huh? Why's that?"

"Well, I have to get dressed, _don't I_?" she moaned at me.

"Oh…sorry, Mist. Come on, Pikachu," I chuckled as I left her room along with Pikachu, closing the door behind me.

"She sure is in a stingy mood today, huh buddy?" I said.

"Pi…Ka pichu Pikaaa Pikachupi pika?" he laughed at me.

"Huh? What do you mean you think I wanna be in there with Misty right now? You must be out of your mind!" I berated Pikachu quietly in a sharp whisper, so that Misty could not hear from inside her room. I turned my head away from him and crossed my arms, trying desperately to avoid giving out a blush as he quietly sniggered at me.

Two minutes later, Misty emerged from her room wearing a light pink hoodie and jeans, with her hair tied at the back with a flower-shaped hairpin.

"Well, let's get going!" she smiled.

"Uhh…Mist?" I said.

"Yeah?"

"Wouldn't people…you know…" I stammered, "Crowd around us on the street if they recognize me?"

She lifted her hand to her mouth in realization, before running back into her room. She returned soon after, with a plain gray cap in hand.

"Here. Wear this," she said, handing it to me.

"Thanks, Mist," I said as I put the cap on my head. Pikachu and Marill followed behind us as we walked downstairs and opened the door, ready to go out. But then I realized that there was still another problem. If Pikachu accompanied us, we would be recognized by the public for sure.

"Sorry buddy, but I think you better stay here with Misty's sisters until we get back," I said to him as I crouched down, "I don't want to draw unwanted attention to the gym. It's just for about an hour, tops, maybe even shorter than that. Please?"

"Pikaaa!" Pikachu shook his head vehemently.

"I know you don't wanna leave my side, Pikachu, but you've gotta understand. This is not for me. It's for Misty. I don't want to cause her any discomfort, just because of me. So please, will you stay?" I pleaded.

"Pi…" he nodded reluctantly, before joining the sisters in the living room.

"Marill, why don't you go and keep him company? Ash and I will only take a while," Misty said as Marill gladly agreed, following after Pikachu.

"Daisy, we're going out now! Call me if anything comes up at the gym, ok?" Misty called out.

"Ok, I'll see you later!" Daisy replied, as Misty closed the door behind us.

"Don't mind me, but…I feel awfully stupid wearing this hat, for some reason," I grumbled as we began to walk.

"Oh, poor baby…you want me to take it back, then?" she teased, reaching out as she pretended to take it from my head.

"No!" I cried, pulling onto the hat tightly.

"Just kidding…" she giggled, nudging me playfully on the arm.

* * *

An hour later, with our shopping finished, we left the department store to return to the Cerulean Gym, carrying several shopping bags containing a couple of pairs of jeans, t-shirts and pyjamas for myself, and of course, a few pairs of new underwear. We became increasingly nervous whilst in the store, as we drew suspicious glances from many people who started to whisper and chatter amongst themselves, saying that they had never seen Misty with a boy out in public before. But to my relief, nobody had seemed to recognize my face as I nervously looked down at the floor, so as to avoid their suspecting eyes.

"Whoo, I'm glad that's over. Who would've thought that there would be so many people out and about in the morning?" I sighed.

"Yeah, me too. I've been to that store a couple of times, but there's usually nowhere near as many people as there were today," she replied.

As our exhausted bodies began to take their toll on our minds, we decided to take a short rest on the way home, as we sat together on a bench in a nearby park. The painful memories of my anguish last night suddenly returned, as I tried to draw all the courage within me to tell her the news which would surely break her heart.

"Hey Mist, there's something I have to tell you about," I said, regretting the fact that I was soon going to cause her great sadness from the very moment I spoke.

"What is it, Ash?" she asked, turning her head towards me.

I sighed, finding it painful to even begin to tell her the truth, as I decided to finally let it out of me.

"Well, the thing is, that-"

I was interrupted by Misty's cell phone, which began to ring from her pocket.

"Sorry, Ash. This'll just take a minute," she apologized, as she reached into her pocket to answer the call.

"Yeah? What is it, Daisy?" she said into the speaker, "Huh? Who are they? …_Gym Inspectors_? Since when did we ever have Gym Inspectors coming in? Where's Violet and Lily? What do you _mean _they also went out? It's only been barely an hour since _we _left! Hold on, tell them to wait. I'll just be a minute."

Misty hung up, her face looking disturbed by fear.

"What was _that _about, Mist?" I asked her.

"Daisy said that two 'Gym Inspectors' showed up and are waiting for me to come back so they can ask me some questions," she replied.

"Gym Inspectors? What would they possibly want? You're running the gym just fine!" I said.

"I don't know…this just doesn't feel right," she said to me, "I didn't even know that a group of people known as 'Gym Inspectors' even existed around here. If they did, I would've known about them. And besides, the _real _Pokémon Inspection Agent around here is supposed to be Nurse Joy…I have a bad feeling about this."

"Mm," I nodded, "we should hurry back then, Mist."

Our calm walk soon turned into a hurried jog, as we made our way back towards the gym.

"Hey by the way, Ash," Misty asked me as we ran together, "What were you going to say just before I got the call?"

I lost my courage to tell her the truth, as I didn't want to break her heart.

"I…forgot, Mist," I lied, "maybe I'll remember it soon again."

She turned her face away from me, looking straight forward again as we drew closer to the front entrance.

* * *

**(Minutes later)**

We arrived back at the gym to be greeted by a worried Daisy, who had a distressed frown on her face. Pikachu and Marill scampered to our side as we entered, looking equally as frantic as her.

"Misty, you're finally back! Come in, quickly!" she cried.

"Who _are _they, Daisy? They can't _really _be Gym Inspectors like they claim – the only Pokémon Inspection Agent around here is Nurse Joy!" Misty panicked as we entered the gym, Daisy closing the door behind us.

"I don't know, but they're both waiting by the pool this very minute!" Daisy replied.

"You go on upstairs to your room, Daisy. Me and Ash are gonna take care of this," Misty said, as Daisy nodded before heading upstairs.

"Come on, Ash," she turned to me, "let's go."

When we arrived at the gym pool, two conspicuous individuals – a man and a woman – stood waiting for us. They both wore long, dark coats and gray business-like hats. The man's hair was colored golden brown, and he had green eyes and a mustache the same color as his hair. His partner's hair was raven black and worn long over her shoulders, and her eyes were a rich blue.

"Who might the two of you be?" I questioned them.

"Why…weren't you told? We're the new Gym Inspectors around this part of Kanto! I'm Roger Stevens, and this is Bella Myers. Pleased to make your acquaintance," said the man.

"If you really _are _Gym Inspectors," Misty accused, "we would've been informed about it ages ago!"

"Oh, please excuse our initial statement," said the woman, "these positions had only been just created barely a few days ago by the Pokémon League, and is now undergoing a trial period to test the effectiveness of performing weekly checks on all the gyms around Kanto."

"Oh…k…" I murmured, still suspicious about their motives.

"Now then," said the man, joining his fingers together, "may we begin our inspection…first, with the Pokémon?"

Misty crossed her arms stubbornly before them, speaking to them with a demanding tone.

"No way!" she yelled, "If you want to do _anything_, first I want to see some actual Pokémon League I.D. from the two of you!"

The two 'inspectors' looked down, sly smirks on their faces as they softly chuckled with one another.

"Looks like she found out already..."said the man.

"Well, I guess that means that we'll have to do things the hard way..._again_..." replied the woman.

"Hey, what is this? Who are you people, really?" I barked.

Their laughter stopped as they started a motto which we remembered all too well, a red rose suddenly appearing from beneath the sleeve of the man.

_Prepare for trouble!_

_Make it double…_

_To protect the world from devastation,_

_To unite all peoples within our nation._

_To denounce the evils of truth and love,_

_To extend our reach to the stars above._

They then threw away their disguises revealing their true selves, as Meowth jumped out from underneath James' jacket and in front of them. Jessie's hair was no longer styled in her usual long ponytail, but was now in a wavy style similar to Daisy, which hung down her shoulders and back.

_Jessie!_

_James…_

_Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!_

_Surrender now, or prepare to fight!_

_Meeeowth, that's right!_

"Team Rocket…I should've known…" I spoke behind gritted teeth. How long would it possibly take until I'll be able to see through all their disguises?

"Why can't you jerks ever just _leave us alone?_" Misty shouted as I held her back with my hand, holding her arm to calm her down.

"We'll '_leave you alone_' when we finally get our hands on that P-" Jessie yelled, before she suddenly came to a halt, "awww…just look at them. Isn't that sweet?"

She then pointed at us as she held her cheek with her hand, giggling as she beckoned James and Meowth to look at us. They all started to laugh together as Misty and I turned red, myself from embarrassment, and Misty from anger.

"The loveboids are finally together again!" Meowth joked.

"They're blushing harder than ever now!" James laughed.

"Don't you two have anything _better _to do? Why don't the two of you get married yourselves and stop bugging the two of us about our relationship with each other all the time!" Misty roared.

Team Rocket looked at each other stunned, before Jessie's expression turned into a glare which pointed at James.

"_Yeah _James, why _haven't _you proposed to me yet?" Jessie raged as she slapped the stunned James back and forth.

"But Jessie! You _know _my parents are still obsessed about me having to marry Jessiebelle! Arguing against them will never work!" James whined.

"I don't care about that stupid preposterous girl!" Jessie yelled at James as she grabbed him by the collar, "I want you to look at your parents right in the eyes and say to them-OW! What the-?" she was cut out, as they were both given hard knocks on the back by Meowth.

"Knock it out, you numskulls! Can't youse two see that we have a problem 'ere?" he pointed his finger at us, causing Jessie and James to look up. Misty had already called out her two Starmies from their Pokéballs while they were distracted, ready for battle.

"_Now _look at the precious time you've wasted us, James!" Jessie yelled as she let out a grunt, reaching down to her waist as she called her Pokémon, "Seviper, go!"

"Seviper!" the giant snake Pokémon cried as it came out of its Pokéball.

"Wobbuffet!" cried a blue Pokémon as he busted out of one of Jessie's Pokéballs yet again.

"_Not _you, you idiot!" Jessie groaned, sucker punching him on the top of his head before recalling him into his ball.

"Go, Carnivine!" James shouted, releasing his Pokémon which promptly held him in a painful hug.

"Eeeee, Carnivine, not me! At them!" he cried as he shook off the cactus-like Pokémon, "Use bullet seed!"

"Car!" it cried before releasing a hail of spikes towards us.

"Seviper! Use poison sting!" Jessie ordered.

"Seviper!" the snake Pokemon bellowed, adding to Carnivine's barrage of pins with its own shower of poisonous missiles.

"Starmies, use water gun!" Misty shouted, as the two of them let out powerful streams of water which dissipated the incoming bullet seed and poison sting attacks.

"Seviper! Use poison tail now!" Jessie hollered. The giant snake reared up quickly, before slamming its tail into the two Starmies who stood together, knocking them out cold into the wall of the pool.

"Starmie!" Misty cried as she ran over to them. The lights in the center of their bodies flickered on and off weakly, before she recalled them into their Pokéballs.

I looked at Misty worriedly, as I shouted towards her.

"Misty! Why don't you call out your Gyarados?" I asked.

"I can't call him out here, Ash, he'll cause too much damage to the gym in this fight!" she replied.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, as I turned my head to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" I yelled.

"Pi! Piiika-Chuuuu!" Pikachu cried as he released a concentrated jolt of lightning which shocked Seviper and Carnivine, causing them to stagger backwards.

"Huh? What the-" James mumbled, looking away from his Carnivine, as his Mime Jr. suddenly burst out of its Pokéball.

"Mime!" it cried.

"Mime Jr., what on _earth_ do you think you're doing?" James cried, "you could get hurt!"

He reached out to his Pokéball to recall the tiny clown Pokémon before stopping, as a radiant white light glowed from its body, as it began to grow in stature.

"It…can't be…" he muttered.

Mime Jr. was evolving.

* * *

"Mr. Mime!"

James' newly-evolved Mr. Mime turned around and smiled at its trainer before facing towards me again, awaiting its orders. James smiled at his evolved partner, as he raised his arm to issue a new command.

"Alright, Mr. Mime, use Reflect and Light Screen now!"

The clown Pokemon got to work right away, creating numerous barriers to protect Team Rocket from our attacks.

"Pikachu! Quickly give them another Thunderbolt, before those shields are completed!" I ordered.

Pikachu then released another massive wave of electricity, but it was of no use – Mr. Mime's barrier was too strong for Pikachu to break through.

Team Rocket then laughed heartily behind the perfect safety of their walls of energy, before James stepped forward and turned to Carnivine.

"Carnivine, Solarbeam!" he shouted, as Carnivine held its hands up and moved them through Mr Mime's barriers, fluid-like holes forming in the walls to make way for its hands as it did so. It then unleashed a powerful beam of light that narrowly missed Misty, but knocked her against the corner of the pool wall.

"Seviper! Use your wrap attack and immobilize that twerp!" Jessie called out.

"Seviperrr!" it cried, as it made a great leap through the barrier from where it stood, towards Misty.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt again!" I yelled.

Pikachu then sent a wave of lightning hurtling towards Seviper's direction, only to have it miss as the giant snake twisted its body at the last minute, dodging the attack.

"Misty, no!" I despairingly cried, as Seviper drew ever closer to Misty who was crouched up against the wall.

Misty turned her head sideways and clenched her eyes shut, as Seviper's enormous shadow loomed over her. Then, to her surprise, one of the Pokéballs on her waist sprang open, releasing Psyduck who stood dumbly in front of her, as Seviper was barely a few feet away from wrapping itself around them.

The basilisk-like Pokémon became surprised by Psyduck's sudden appearance, as it promptly wrapped itself around it instead of Misty. It hissed at Misty's face as it made her unconscious with a haze attack, whilst seemingly squeezing the life out of poor Psyduck.

"Piiika…" Pikachu said, as he started charging another volley of a Thunderbolt attack.

"No, Pikachu!" I stopped him, "You'll just end up hurting Psyduck! You might hit Misty by accident as well!"

"Pi…" he growled as the electricity in his cheeks died down.

As Seviper continued to constrict Psyduck in a crushing Wrap, his headache intensified until at last, he stood deathly still, bluish mist emanating from his eyes. The one who was writhing in pain was now Seviper, as he released his grip on Psyduck before being sent hurtling to the other side of the pool by a brutal Psychic attack. It slammed into the solid wall of Light Screen created by Mr. Mime, which hardly took any damage from the impact.

"Psy…"

Pikachu and I were amazed, as Psyduck started to glow with a fiery blue aura. His demeanor seemed to have completely changed from his blank expression, into one of hatred – something that we had never seen in him before – as he glared menacingly at Team Rocket. The only time I had ever been fearful of one of our Pokémon's anger was when Infernape had once activated his Blaze ability in battle, but to see such a hateful expression from a gentle Pokémon such as Misty's Psyduck was _truly_ frightening.

Everyone in the pool area went silent and still as we all looked at Psyduck, who then started to glow brightly with a piercing light. We shielded our eyes from the blinding flash, and when it subsided, Psyduck was no longer there…he had finally evolved into a Golduck, and now looked more powerful than ever, as he assumed a battle stance.

I stood still, too shocked to even give Golduck orders in Misty's place while she was knocked out, as he suddenly leapt towards Team Rocket, shattering both of their barriers with a single Brick Break attack as they looked on, shrieking with horror.

"James, _do something!_" Jessie screamed.

"Carnivine, use Vine Whip!" James called out in desperation.

Carnivine lunged two long vines forward from his body, only for them to be intercepted in the air by Golduck's Psychic attack. He then used Disable on all of them, rendering them motionless as they stood by, watching as he lifted them into the air with his psychic power, before sending them flying through the ceiling of the gym, into the blue sky above.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried, as they sailed into the air and out of view.

As the troublesome trio and their Pokemon were sent on their way, I rushed over to Misty to check on her. I knelt beside her, holding her body in my arms as I tried to wake her.

"Mist. Mist, are you okay? Wake up!" I cried as I shook her by the shoulders. Her eyes slowly opened, as she looked at me with a tired glance.

"Ash…is it…over?" she whispered.

"Yeah. They're gone now. And it's all thanks to Golduck," I said, turning my head to look at him before I averted my head back towards her.

"Golduck? What are you talking about? You don't mean…" she replied, startled by what I said as she sat up.

"That's right, Mist. Your Psyduck evolved after you were knocked out. He evolved to save you."

Golduck slowly walked towards us, his blue aura gone and his eyes returned to their normal, calm look. He showed absolutely no sign of the chronic headache condition he had while he was a Psyduck, his demeanour now cool and confident.

"Thankyou, Golduck," she smiled, "deep down, I always knew I could depend on you."

Golduck smiled smugly, giving us a thumbs up as I helped Misty back onto her feet. She walked up to Golduck and gave him a hug, before recalling him back into his Pokéball. Then, without a single word of warning, she fell over onto her side, as I rushed forward to help her.

"Misty! What's wrong?" I cried, resting her head on my knee.

"Ash…I feel so weak…that Haze attack…" she murmured.

"Stay with me, Mist. Stay awake," I said as I lifted her body off the floor, "I'll take you to your bed."

I ran out of the pool area with her in my arms, towards the staircase and her bedroom.

"Daisy!" I called out, "Misty needs help!"

Daisy soon came running from her room, seeing me as I walked up the stairs.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"She got hit by a Haze attack. Can you do anything about it?"

Daisy put her hand on Misty's forehead, before facing me again.

"Take her to her bedroom," she said, "I'll grab some towels and run them through cold water."

I nodded, carrying Misty to her room and laying her on her bed, as Daisy ran into the bathroom.

* * *

"Just relax, Mist. Everything's gonna be fine," I said softly, as I covered her body with the quilt of her bed.

Daisy soon returned with a batch of cold towels, as I took one and placed it over Misty's forehead. She then left the two of us alone after I had told her about the damages to the ceiling of the gym after Team Rocket had been sent blasting off, and that I would continue to tend to Misty.

"I'm going to miss him…the old Psyduck, I mean," Misty said softly after a few minutes of silence, "Even though he caused me a great deal of frustration at times, seeing him evolved felt like…I was saying goodbye to a part of my very life."

"But you know, Mist, even though he's evolved, he's still the same Psyduck we've always known, in a way," I said.

"How is that, Ash?"

"Because while he was a Psyduck, he always wanted to be there for you whenever you needed help, no matter what the situation was. And that's something that's not ever gonna change, Mist."

She smiled, closing her eyes as she remembered all the times when Psyduck had pulled through for her in times of trouble.

"To tell you the truth, Mist," I continued, "although I'm gonna miss him, I'm really happy to have seen Psyduck evolve."

"Why?"

"Because now, even though I may sometimes be away from the love of my life, and not able to reach her," I said, caressing her cheek, "I know that there's always gonna be someone who'll make sure that she is safe, at all times."

"I love you, Ash," she whispered to me.

"I love you, too," I replied, gently rubbing her hand as she looked at me longingly with weary eyes.

"Get some rest, Mist. I'll come back in here to check on you in the afternoon," I said, kissing her on the forehead as she drifted off to sleep.

I left her room, closing the door quietly behind me. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I walked down the corridor, turning my head to look at her door again before descending the staircase, as I whispered.

"Promise me, Golduck…Promise me that you'll look after her when I'm gone…"

**(End of Chapter 9)**

* * *

**A/N:** That's chapter 9 finished! I'm not that good at narrating through battles, I've gotta admit :S . I didn't want to put Jessie & James' ages at the top of the page, since that would've given away their identities (but then again, it's quite obvious to everyone that they ARE going to be Jessie and James, anyway). There might be a few inaccuracies here and there because I was rushing to get this chapter done by my promised deadline, so please point them out if you see any. Please leave your reviews!

Cheers to Eevee5501892 for pointing out to me that Carnivine can't use Pin Missile. His Pin Missile attacks have now been substituted with his Bullet Seed attack. :)

Like I said before, I'm probably only gonna be able to put up a new chapter once every week on the weekends, because of all the school work I've got to do. Please be patient with me about it!

**(New)**** Character Ages**: Jessie & James (both 28)


	10. Confession

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Confession**

Two hours had passed since the battle, as I walked up the stairs towards Misty's room, carrying a tray containing a bowl vegetable soup. Pikachu scampered ahead of me towards her door as I walked down the corridor, quietly opening it for me and making way as I entered. Upon entering her room, I set the tray down on the side of her bed, as I looked upon her sleeping figure.

Although she looked slightly pale from fatigue, my heart found a slight bit of joy at the fact that she looked nowhere near as white as in my past nightmare, where my heart plummeted with the false belief that I was responsible for her sorrow and death. I leaned over her bed as I pulled the top-left corner of her quilt over her exposed shoulder, before kneeling down beside her bed. I then caressed her right hand softly, to wake her from her gentle sleep.

"Mist," I whispered, "Mist, wake up. I've brought you some food."

Her eyes slowly opened as she looked wearily at me, trying her best to manage a weak smile.

"How are you feeling, Mist?" I asked.

"Still…a bit weak," she whispered back. She sat up and leaned her back against the headpiece of the bed, after seeing the tray that I held in my hands.

"Pi…" cried Pikachu softly.

"Hi, Pikachu…" she spoke weakly as she looked at him.

"Here. Have some of the soup I've got here for you," I said, as I placed the tray gently on top of her lap. She stared dumbly at it for a few seconds, before turning her head towards me again.

"Ash?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

She curled the fingers of her left hand in and out gently in front of her, motioning me to come closer. I leaned forward, placing my ear next to her mouth as she whispered into it.

"…there's _carrots_ in my soup…."

"Oh crap…" I said, slapping my forehead, "I forgot that you hate carrots. I'll take it back and remove them. I'll be right back."

I took the tray back up in my hands and turned around, before I felt her outstretched hand gently place itself onto my left arm.

"That's OK, Ash. You don't have to go through all the trouble of taking them out. I'll just have it _with _the carrots."

"You sure?" I asked as I turned around, to see her smile and give me a nod. I smiled back, as I placed the tray back on top of her lap, before pulling up the nearby chair from her desk and sitting by her side. I removed the old towel which lay upon her forehead, and replaced it with a fresh one which lay in a metal bowl of cold water, squeezing it dry before applying it. She took the spoon in her hand, gently blowing on each spoonful of soup before inserting it into her mouth. The sun shined brightly through the window, as her hair and skin seemed to glisten with a heavenly glow.

"You're so…_beautiful_," I unwittingly said, my mind drifting about as I watched over her while she ate.

Her hand stopped just as she was about to consume another spoonful of soup. She looked at me in a peculiar way, before gently chuckling at me.

"Ash…are you sure that _you're _not the one who's sick at the moment?"

"…_Quite _sure," I chuckled, smiling at her. She _always_ had a good sense of humor to lighten up any situation.

"Hey by the way, Mist," I said as she continued to eat, "Daisy called Nurse Joy soon after she checked the damage to the gym roof. Nurse Joy told her that the effects of a Haze attack on humans usually lasts no longer than a day, in most cases. You just need to get a good night's rest tonight, and soon we'll be good and ready to head to Pallet Town!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Ash. It makes me feel better already," she smiled.

"And Mist, if you really need to be by yourself tonight, so that you recover," I suggested, "it's perfectly fine with me to sleep on the couch."

"No, Ash! It'll be OK! I'll be fine, promise!" she insisted as she placed her spoon down in her bowl.

"Please, Mist. I'd rather wake up in the morning on the couch with aches all over my body, rather than see you still sick in the morning, all because of me. I wanna see you recover as soon as possible," I pleaded with her, as I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, Ash," she sighed, leaning her head gently against my hand as she caressed it with both of hers, "I guess it's just that…I don't wanna be apart from you."

"I understand, Mist," I replied, patting her on the back with my free hand to comfort her.

I sat by her side for a few more minutes until she had finished her soup, upon which I took back the tray from her lap. I left with it downstairs after seeing close her eyes again to sleep, kissing her lips and forehead before I left her room. After placing the tray and dish into the kitchen sink, I returned to her room to find her soundly asleep. Comforted by the sight of her peaceful state, I sat down on the chair beside her, where I also eventually fell into a deep sleep of my own.

* * *

**(Ash's dream)**

I walked out of the front entrance of the gym, my bag in hand as I prepared to depart for the Indigo Plateau. My two weeks of leave were now spent, prompting me to return at once to keep my title as Pokémon Master. The cool morning breeze blew upon my face as I turned around to face Misty who stood by the door, tears raining down her cheeks as she looked at me. Then, she ran up to me, clenching my arms in frustration and burying her head into my chest.

"_Why, _Ash? _Why_ didn't you tell me earlier!" she yelled at me, hitting my chest with her fists as she cried into me.

"I tried to, Mist. But I just couldn't…" I sobbed, tears pouring down my face and onto her head as I held her in my arms.

"You _lied _to me!" she cried, angrily pushing me away before slapping me hard across my right cheek, "You told me that you would always be there for me, and now you're leaving me after just two weeks – for God knows how long – all for a stupid title?"

My tears intensified as I held my sore cheek, before my sadness turned to anger. I then yelled at her for her contempt towards my achievement, which I worked my whole life to attain.

"It's not just a stupid title! Do you know how many _years _I worked to finally become the official Pokémon Master? How many grueling battles and challenges I had to go through? This is what I've wanted my whole life, Misty, and I'm not about to give it up easily, just like that!"

I looked down as I clenched my fist, my entire body seeming to shake as I seethed with anger.

"Ash! Don't you realise what you're getting yourself into by going back there?" she hollered in frustration, "You're trapping yourself in an endless cycle of battles, week in and week out, until the day comes where you'll eventually be defeated! Can't you see that? And what are you going to do when that day arrives, and you realise that you've sacrificed months, if not years of your life, pointlessly clinging onto a title you were destined to lose in the end? And trust me, that day _will _come_."_

She then stood silently, looking me at eyes filled with both sadness and anger, as I realized that there was truth behind her words – no Champion ever truly reigns forever. But my thoughts soon changed back to my passion for glory, as I growled back at her.

"I don't care. This is what _I _want, and nobody's going to take it away from me," I gnarled, as I took my bag again in my hand, "I'm tired of this, Misty. I'm tired of everything now – tired of arguing. Tired of bickering… Tired of _**you**_."

My entire body froze in shock, appalled at how I could bring myself to say such things to the girl whom I've always loved. She walked backwards away from me slowly, tears flooding her face. After we were a few feet away from each other, her dismayed expression was replaced by anger as she yelled at me.

"Fine…" she cried, "If your title means more to you than someone who's loved you all their life, then have it _your _way!"

She turned around, walking slowly towards the door as I stood staring at her, hardly able to breathe. Then, as she placed her hand on the side of the door to close it, she looked back to whisper to me tearfully, for what would surely be the last time I would see her.

"I've made sacrifices in _my _life for _you_, Ash... Remember that…"

The door gently closed without even the smallest sound as I fell to my knees, realizing just what I had done. The only girl with whom I could ever spend the rest of my days happily with was now gone, the joy she brought to my life replaced with sorrow and misery, as I looked grimly to my future as a master of nothing more than my own broken dreams.

My fists lay upon my knees as the rain started to fall gently at first, before turning into a downpour that drenched me completely. The love of my life was gone, and there was no way I could ever bring her back to me again. I collapsed onto my side, losing all hope or motivation to go forward, as the ground around me turned into a thick layer of muddy rain.

"Ash! Ash!" called a faint voice in my head as my eyes opened slowly at its sound. I looked around but saw nobody, as it continued to call my name. It was then that I realised that I was dreaming, as my senses promptly shook me awake.

* * *

"Ash! Can you hear me?" called Daisy from downstairs, causing me to dazedly open my eyes. My entire body ached with discomfort from having sat hunched on the chair for hours, as I stood up and stretched my arms and legs. I looked at the clock on Misty's desk, which showed the time as being 6:15pm, as Pikachu also yawned and stretched awake on the food of the bed. The nap which felt to me as if it was barely half an hour had already turned out to be more than four hours, as I quietly walked out of Misty's room.

"Yeah? What is it, Daisy?" I called downstairs after reaching the staircase, loud enough for Daisy to hear me, but soft enough so as to not disturb Misty too much.

"Dinner's ready, so can you take Misty's bowl up to her?" she responded.

"Alright, I'll be right down in a minute!" I said, before turning around to return to Misty's room.

She was awake now, her eyes slightly open with a drowsy expression. I crouched down beside her and fondled her shoulder and face, as she smiled and rubbed her face against my hand in response.

"Mist, dinner's ready. I'll be right back with it, so wait just a little while," I said.

"OK, Ash. Don't hurry yourself, though," she replied.

"Pikachu, can you stay here and watch over Misty while I get back?" I asked.

"Pika!" he answered cheerfully.

Smiling, I leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, which were much more vibrant in life and color than they were earlier.

"I love you," I said to her after we broke apart, as I walked out of her room.

I walked downstairs and into the kitchen to find Daisy by the stove stirring a boiling saucepan of mild and sweet curry with vegetables and beef. Violet was also busy setting up the table for dinner, while Lily scooped five bowlfuls of warm, cooked rice from the nearby rice cooker.

"Hey, since when did you guys get back?" I asked Lily and Violet.

"We came right away after Daisy called us and told us what happened," said Violet as she turned her head towards me.

"Oh…" I murmured.

"I know that you probably think that we're out all the time by ourselves and hardly stay to take care of the gym and all," added Lily, "but believe me when I say that we would never leave our little sister alone when she needs us by her side."

"That's good to hear," I smiled at them, as I walked over to Lily and received two bowls of rice from her. Violet handed me a tray from the cupboard under the kitchen counter, and I placed them on it. I carried the tray over to Daisy, who started to pour the curry from the saucepan into the bowls with a ladle as she spoke to me.

"You know, the three of us came up to check on Misty earlier," she said, "It was so sweet to see you sitting there by her side, watching over her like that."

"Don't mention it, Daisy," I blushed.

"It was so romantic!" Violet cried, causing me to blush even harder.

"You really love her…don't you?" Daisy asked.

"Of _course _I do."

"To be honest, I'm really glad to have you around right now, Ash," she continued, "Ever since our parents passed away, there was never really anyone in the world who could truly comfort her and make her happy again whenever she felt down, for whatever reason. Not even us, her sisters."

My eyes drew wider in shock. Misty had never told me before about what truly happened to her parents, even while we traveled together.

"I still remember when she was just a little girl, she would cry every night, saying that she wished that they would somehow come back," Violet added, "Out of the four of us, Misty was the one who loved our parents the most. Our mom gave birth to her several years after Lily was born, so she became the most dependent on our parents, whilst the three of us were usually out and about in the city when we were teenagers."

"She still thinks about them every now and then, nowadays," said Lily, before smiling at me "and also of _you_, of course."

I smiled weakly, trying to hide my sadness for Misty. I then realized that I had never really asked my mom about my own father, for years. I had always been told by her before I started my journey, that he was on a quest of his own, and rarely contacted her at home, the details of which she would never really tell me.

"There. All done," Daisy said as she finished scooping, "You can take it up to Misty now."

"OK, Daisy. Thanks," I replied, placing two cups of water on the tray. But then I remembered one important thing…

"Oh yeah. Daisy," I spoke to her again, "Do you have any ketchup around?"

"Sure, Ash. It's in the fridge," she said.

"Thanks."

I opened the fridge to find a bottle of ketchup, taking it out and squeezing some ketchup into a small dipping-sauce bowl. After placing the bottle back into its original place, I placed Pikachu's ketchup bowl alongside the cups of water on the tray, before walking with it upstairs.

* * *

"Mist, dinner's here for you," I said as I entered her room.

"Thanks, Ash. You've been so good to me today," she smiled.

"Don't mention it," I chuckled as I laid down the tray on the bed, "It's the _least_ I can do for someone who's saved my life twice in the past."

"…True…" she grinned, pulling one of the bowls on the tray closer to her.

"Here you go, buddy," I said as I handed Pikachu the bowl of ketchup.

"Cha!" he smiled as he started to lick the contents of the bowl. Misty and I both blew light breaths upon our dishes to cool them down, before eating our dinner slowly.

"You know," I started, "when we get back to Pallet Town, we're going to have to tell everyone about our relationship, eventually. It'll be too obvious to deny anymore. That, and Brock knows about us anyway."

"Oh come on, Ash, how bad could it turn out to be if we told them? It's not like we're _engaged_…yet," she teased.

Her last words caused me to suddenly choke on a piece of meat, as I placed my bowl onto the tray whilst continuing to suffocate. Misty sighed, putting her bowl down on the tray before she pulled me by the back closer to her. Then, she forced me to release the piece of meat from my throat with a single, well-placed punch on my back, as I gasped for air.

"Thanks…Mist," I panted.

"That makes it _three _times you owe me now, Ash Ketchum," she smiled.

"…That's great to know…" I sighed as we continued to eat.

* * *

**(Later that night)**

It was almost 11 o'clock, as all of Misty's sisters were in their rooms watching TV, chatting on their phones or listening to the radio to pass the time before going to sleep. After brushing our teeth together in the bathroom, I changed into the pyjamas that we bought today at the department store and walked Misty back to her room, as Pikachu and Marill took their usual place on the foot of the bed.

"Well Mist, I'll be downstairs if you need me," I said as I turned out her lights after helping her into bed.

"Wait, Ash," she called.

"What is it?"

"It's alright. You don't have to sleep downstairs anymore. I'm feeling alright now," she smiled.

"You sure?" I asked in a concerned tone. She nodded to me in confirmation, upon which I then slid under the covers of the bed beside her.

"Want me to rub your stomach so it gets well, just in case?" I joked, placing my hand gently on her stomach and smiling at her, before I winced in pain as she pinched my own.

"In your dreams, mister," she grumpily replied, before smiling also, "Just kidding!"

We rubbed our noses gently against one another, before embracing tightly in another passionate kiss. After a minute or so, I drew back from her, holding her hands warmly beneath the quilt as I prepared to reveal the truth to her.

"Mist, there's something I have to tell you," I said to her.

"What is it, Ash?"

"It's important that you know about this, but you're not going to like it," I sadly stated, "I wanted to tell you as we were coming back here in the morning after we finished shopping, but I just couldn't,"

"Tell me, Ash. It's alright," she said as she stroked my cheek. I sighed softly, not wanting to think about how sad the truth would soon make her feel, as I spoke to her.

"Well, the truth is, when Lance called last night, it wasn't just to check up on you and me. He told me that it was my responsibility as the new Champion, to return to the Indigo Plateau to take up my post. I've got only two weeks to spend with you, Misty. After that, I have to return, otherwise my position is forfeit."

She stayed silent for a few seconds, her breathing deepening into a slightly panicked pant as I could feel her heart beating against my chest.

"Can I…can I…come with you?" she asked. I shook my head regretfully, as I began to stroke her cheek.

"No. And this is what pains me the most, Mist. This has been my lifelong dream – to become the Champion. But to think that I have to spend my days there alone, without you by my side…it breaks my heart," I said, as our tears fell onto each other's hands on our faces.

"I love you, Misty," I continued, "I didn't want to tell you because I couldn't bear to see you heartbroken, but not telling you this until our final day together would have been even worse."

My heart fell into despair, as she started to cry into my chest while I hugged her to comfort her. Then surprisingly, she looked up at my face with a smile, before kissing my lips as I confusedly looked at her.

"Mist…" I murmured.

"It's alright, Ash," she smiled, "It was your dream since the beginning to become the Champion and a Pokemon Master, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, Mist…but what about…you?"

"I love you, Ash, and I always will," she said, "but that doesn't mean that it's my place to tell you what you can or cannot do, simply because I want you by my side. You're the only person whom I can ever love in my life, and I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes for you to come back."

I looked at her in disbelief. I never thought that she would take all of this so calmly, without even the slightest hint of discontent.

"Thanks for understanding, Mist…" I smiled at her.

"Remember, Ash, that it was _you _who let me go when I had to return to Cerulean, even though I could see that it pained you as much as it hurt me. And it was because of you that I was able to continue on with the dream I've had ever since my childhood, to one day become the world's greatest water Pokémon trainer. Now it's _my_ turn to let you achieve your _own_ dreams of being the Champion."

Tears fell freely from my eyes, as I looked at the girl who did something that I could never do in return for her – she had let me go. I pulled her in and embraced her in a tight hug, kissing her cheek softly as I whispered into her ear.

"I will _never_...stop…loving you, Misty…That, I promise."

"I love you too, Ash…more than anything," she said, as we lay together until we fell asleep in each other's arms.

**(End of chapter 10)**

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**A/N:** Well, that's Chapter 10 finished. It's been really difficult to write, but I managed to get it done in the end _ . I've had to improvise on a _lot _of sections, because the current plotline actually contains a few, but important events that I didn't think of including when I had written the original plan for this story's plot. I was also going to include conversation between Ash and Misty about their own parents, but I think it'd be more suitable if I moved that to Book II, in terms of plot development. (Spoiler Alert! )

I'm also _really_ lacking enough writing time on this due to the demands of my school work, to keep up with my earlier promise, that I would try to upload a new chapter every week. I've suddenly received several school assessment tasks all at once this week, so I probably won't be able to upload the next chapter for about two weeks or so. Anyway, please leave your reviews!


	11. A Fateful Encounter

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**A Fateful Encounter**

The bright morning sunlight beamed through the window, as we were woken by the cheerful chirping of a traveling flock of Pidgey. We breathed softly onto one another, cuddling together as we both smiled.

"How do you feel, Mist?" I asked.

"I feel completely fine now, Ash. It's all thanks to you," she replied.

"Mist, all I ever did was bring up food to you, and sit by your side while you slept. You recovered on your own because you were strong. That's all," I smiled.

"Whatever you say, Ash," she grinned as she kissed me. I then got out of bed and stretched my arms and legs, before sitting down beside her again as I spoke to her.

"Well, I guess we should get ready to leave soon. We've got a big day ahead of us, and Brock's gonna be waiting for us at the station in Pewter City. We have to go today if we want to get to Pallet Town by tomorrow."

"Alright, Ash. But can you tell me – if we're going by train, wouldn't we arrive at Pallet Town in just a matter of hours? Why can't we just leave tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sorry Mist, I forgot to tell you," I explained, "The train line stops at Pewter City, because the Pokémon League HQ didn't want the constructors to cause any deforestation or damage to Viridian Forest, where all the bug Pokémon live. We have to take the train to Pewter City, meet up with Brock, and then travel the rest of the way on foot."

Misty suddenly froze completely as I spoke, gazing blankly in front of her in shock.

"Mist…are you alright?" I said.

"Viridian…Forest…bug…Pokémon…" she stammered, her body trembling madly.

"_Come on_, Mist," I chuckled, "It'll be _fine_. I'll look after you, I promise. Not to mention that Brock will be with us, and who knows, Golduck will probably pop out of his Pokéball again if you're in any sort of danger."

"You're right, Ash," she replied, breathing out a sigh of relief as she slipped out of the quilt and sat on the side of the bed, "Let's get ready."

"Pikachu, Marill, are you guys up?" I said to them as they looked up to me and smiled, "We'll be leaving for Pallet Town in an hour or two. Misty and I have to pack our bags now, so why don't the two of you head downstairs and get breakfast from Daisy?"

"Pika!"

"Marr!" they cheerfully answered. I rubbed them both behind the ears before they left, as I turned back to Misty.

"We should start packing our bags, Mist, and—hey, where did mine go?" I panicked.

"You didn't bring it in the first place when you came here, Ash. _Remember_?" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Oh…yeah, I forgot…" I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head, "You wouldn't happen to have a spare one, would you, Mist?"

"As a matter of fact, I've got a large sports bag in my wardrobe, Ash. Can you get it out for me?" she said.

"OK," I said, as I opened the wardrobe and searched the bottom section of it, before spotting a dark-blue sports bag, "Is this it?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Uhh, but Mist…wouldn't we need _two_ bags?" I asked.

"No, that one bag should be enough to fit _both_ our belongings in. And besides, we'll only be traveling for a day, Ash."

"That's settled, then," I said, as I took her by the hand and helped her to her feet, "Let's go. Your sisters will be waiting for us downstairs."

When we arrived at the kitchen, I was surprised to find only Daisy sitting alone eating breakfast along with Pikachu and Marill, as Violet and Lily were absent.

"Hey, Daisy. Where's Violet and Lily?" I asked.

"Good morning, Ash. The two of them are still asleep," she replied.

"Typical," Misty sighed, "They're like this almost every morning, leaving just the two of us to prepare breakfast for everyone, including the Pokémon."

Misty and I both sat with Daisy at the table after pouring our own bowls of cereal and milk, as Pikachu and Marill both enjoyed their own breakfast of ketchup and Pokémon food.

"So when are you two leaving for Pallet Town? Are you going tomorrow?" Daisy asked.

"Actually, we have to go today, in about an hour. Ash told me that the train line doesn't go directly from Pewter City to Viridian, because of Viridian Forest being the habitat to all the bug Pokémon who live there. So we have to travel from Pewter on foot until we get to Pallet Town," Misty explained.

"Oh really? You're leaving so soon! Well…good luck with all those bugs that you're afraid of, sis! But then again, you're gonna have your boyfriend by your side, so it should be much of a problem," Daisy teased, as Misty shot a fiery glare at her, "What? It's not like I'm lying when I say that you're afraid of bugs more than the average girl, am I?"

"Hmph!" Misty puffed, before digging in into another spoonful of cereal. As much as I tried to keep a straight face on the outside, on the inside I was laughing – Misty had never looked so frustrated in such a cute way, since our evening banquet on Shamouti Island with Melody, all those years ago.

After finishing with breakfast a few minutes later, Misty and I washed our bowls in the kitchen sink and placed them back in the dish holder, before heading out of the kitchen together.

"Now remember you two, don't get any overly-wild ideas at night!" Daisy said in a motherly tone as we walked by the door, Pikachu and Marill following behind us.

"What does _that _mean, Daisy? We're both only eighteen! Stop thinking like that – you're almost as bad as Lily!" Misty roared.

"Just kidding! Now, go on and get yourselves ready!" Daisy giggled as we left, Misty's face turning red with embarrassment and anger while I softly chuckled to myself.

* * *

**(An hour later)**

After each taking a shower and making all the necessary preparations, Misty and I crouched by the front entrance as we made several last-minute checks on our bag of gear. Daisy, Lily and Violet stood behind us, the latter two having woken up minutes ago to say goodbye as we left. However, one thing was still bothering me, as we continued to look the bag together.

"…Are you sure that you could only find _one _sleeping bag around here?" I groaned.

"Yeah... Sorry about that. But don't worry – I'm bringing a blanket along. We can just unzip the sleeping bag and then place the blanket over on top of us. It'll be no problem," she smiled.

"That's not the _real _problem I'm worried about," I sighed.

"What is it then, Ash?" she asked.

"Wouldn't Brock…you know…"

"Oh don't worry about it…besides, this is _Brock _we're talking about. He'll understand," she smiled.

Once we had made certain that we had everything we needed, I zipped the bag up and prepared to swing its strap across my back, before I started to worry about Misty's condition again.

"Now Mist, just before we get going…are you _sure_ that you're completely fit to travel?" I asked.

"Of course, Ash, I feel totally fine!" she smiled.

"Wait a sec. I just wanna make sure," I said as I went overboard with physical checks, doing things such as feeling the temperature of her forehead and checking her pulse on her wrist. I continued this for about a minute, before feeling a throbbing pain on the top of my head as a large, wooden mallet came pummeling down on me.

"I'll take that…as a yes…" I groaned, laying writhing on the floor as the Sensational Sisters giggled lightly at me. I got back up again, rubbing the sore spot on my head as Misty spoke to Daisy.

"Daisy, I'm gonna be taking Golduck, Politoed, Marill and one of the Starmies with me. That leaves you with Seaking, Seadra, Corsola, Gyarados, Caserin, Dewgong and the other Starmie for any gym battles for this week. And remember – don't you ever—"

"_Give away badges simply because I don't feel like battling any trainers_... I _get_ it, Misty – you've been telling me this for as long as I can remember! And don't worry – my battling skills have like, improved so much over the last few years! It'll be fine!" Daisy whined.

"Well, that's that, then," Misty smiled, "There's not that many trainers who have scheduled battles for this week, so remember – check all of the trainers for their names, and check them off against the list. If they show up and _don't _have scheduled battles for the day, send them back! I don't want things to end up out of hand like the _last _time I left for Pallet Town! And one final thing. Never use Gyarados against newbie trainers. Only use him against already experienced trainers from regions like Johto and Hoenn – his power's grown a bit too great lately."

"OK sis, I gotcha. Have a nice time now!" Daisy cheerfully replied, as the three sisters each hugged Misty while I swung the sports bag onto my back by the straps.

"_God_, this thing's as heavy as my Snorlax! How much stuff did you put in here?" I moaned.

"Oh…poor baby…want _me _to carry it for you, then?" Misty teased.

"I'll be alright," I replied, choking from the weight of the bag as the strap extended over my collar bone, "my head still hurts from your mallet, though."

"Sorry about that, Ash, honey. But you _really _ticked me off doing that," she said, gently kissing the spot where her mallet viciously landed on my head, before taking the packed sleeping bag in her hand, "Come on, Marill!"

"Marill!" cried the little blue Pokémon happily, making its way to Misty's side as we opened the door. Pikachu scurried onto me and took his usual place – on top of my head – as we started to make our way to the Cerulean train station.

"Bye, you guys! Thanks for everything while I was here!" I called out to Daisy, Lily and Violet who stood by the door as we departed.

"Take care, you three!" Misty waved.

"Bye! Call home straight away if anything comes up!" Daisy cried as they waved at us.

"Hey Ash, I was just wondering…but did you call Brock this morning?" Misty asked me as we walked towards the station.

"Brock? …_oh shit_…I haven't called him yet," I realized, hurriedly taking out the phone in my PokéGear.

"Why do I even bother…" she sighed as I glanced at her in frustration. After ringing for a few seconds, the dial on the opposite end of the line picked up, as Brock's responded.

"Hi, Ash, I'm all packed and ready to go. Where are you guys now?" he asked.

"Hi Brock," I replied, "We're heading to Cerulean station at the moment. We'll be at Pewter City in about 40 minutes."

"Cool. I'll be waiting for you guys, and we'll all leave for Pallet Town together when you get to Pewter station. What carriage are you guys gonna be on?"

"Uhh…" I wondered, before turning to Misty, "Hey Mist, which carriage are we-"

"The first," she said, cutting me off abruptly.

"Did you hear that, Brock?" I said.

"Yeah, I heard her, Ash. Well, call me when you guys are about to arrive, and I'll see you then. Bye now!" he replied.

"Okay, Brock. See ya later!" I said, turning off the phone and placing it back into its pocket in my PokéGear before muttering to Misty, "You didn't have to be so rude, y'know…"

"I'm sorry, Ash…I was just a bit…frustrated," she softly replied in a melancholy voice.

"Why?" I turned to her, gently holding her hand as we continued to walk.

"It's just that…I've been thinking. About you having to leave one day. I want you to fulfill your dreams, just as much as _you_ want to succeed yourself, but…I don't know what I'll do without you…" she sadly responded.

I stayed silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to say to her. I responded only by squeezing her hand more firmly than before, to express both my love for her and my sadness at the fact that I was virtually powerless to prevent our inevitable separation.

"I understand, Mist. I felt the same way when we had to separate, all those years ago. But look on the bright side, my love. I might not stay as the Champion for that long, anyway. There's bound to be a trainer out there who's gonna eventually take my title and enable me to come back, to be with you," I smiled, trying to put her back in a cheerful mood.

"Yeah, but…" she said, "You're like, the most powerful trainer I've ever known! _Who _out there is gonna beat _you_, Ash?"

"Well, you never know," I chuckled, "Surprises _do _happen, Mist. Even Gary said that he's considering taking up the Indigo Plateau challenge just so he can beat me_. _I might even let him do it, if I get bored of life as a Champion."

"You and your imagination…" she giggled, nudging me lightly on my side, "But…what did you call me just before?"

"Huh? What did I say?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Didn't you just call me… 'my love'?" she teased.

"Oh…yeah…weird, huh?" I grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, I don't think so…maybe you're just growing up and maturing, _finally_?" she joked.

"Don't bet on it happening anytime soon, Mist," I replied, playfully stroking her hair as she rested her head against my shoulder.

* * *

**(At Cerulean City station)**

"Last call for all passengers for the train departing for Pewter City, via Mt. Moon overpass! This train will depart in one minute!"

The station announcer's voice rang from the front of the platform, as Misty and I were settled in the front carriage of the train sitting next to each other, with Pikachu and Marill sitting on our laps. A short time later, the train began to depart, leaving the underground tunnel of Cerulean station and up to the bright surface. Pikachu and Marill peered out the window to see Cerulean Cape and the ocean, which sparkled beautifully against the radiant sunlight.

"Cerulean Cape…it looks so beautiful today," Misty said in an absent-minded tone as I looked out across the horizon with her.

"Mist…is something up?" I asked as I noticed her blank expression.

"Oh, nothing…It'll be quite embarrassing for me to tell you, actually," she smiled, looking down.

"Come on, Mist. You can tell me," I said, placing my hand on top of hers.

"Alright, then," she replied as she dreamily looked out the window again, "I think you already know this, but…When I was a little girl, I always looked out of the window to see couples standing together on top of the Cape. It's always been a famous site for romance – people would fall in love, get engaged, or even decide to hold their own weddings there. After seeing such sights for so long, I also started to have my own dreams of meeting and falling in love with the one person with whom I would spend the rest of my life with, on top of that very Cape."

"Well Mist…I think we _both _know how _that _dream turned out," I smirked, remembering back to the day we first met.

"Yeah…I wasn't exactly planning to _fish him out of the river _outside Viridian City, and have him steal my bike, either," she chuckled, before resting her head against my shoulder, as the train continued to hurtle towards Pewter City.

* * *

**(At Pewter City Station)**

"Ladies and gentlemen, the train is now arriving at Pewter City, and will terminate upon arrival. This train will subsequently change to a service to Fuchsia City in ten minutes. Thank you for your patronage."

We were woken out of our brief nap by the announcer through the train's overhead speaker, as we looked towards the station platform, trying to find Brock. His figure came into view as the train slowed down to a halt. I took down the bag from the compartment over our heads with a little help from Misty, before leaving the train with her as she went ahead with Pikachu and Marill by her side.

"Hey guys, good to see you again!" Brock greeted us as we left the train.

"Hi Brock," we both said.

"Pika-Chu!" Pikachu greeted him.

"Marill!"

"So, you guys came together, huh? I thought Ash would've gone back to Pallet Town yesterday!" Brock laughed, as we started to make our way out of the station.

"Well, about that…I stayed at the Cerulean Gym for the past two days, actually. Misty sorta' needed me yesterday," I replied.

"Huh? She 'needed' you? Did something happen?"

"Yeah. Team Rocket showed up. _Again_…" I sighed, "Misty got knocked out by Seviper's Haze attack, and was bedridden for hours while I stayed by her side."

"I'm sorry to hear that... You feelin' alright now, Misty?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine now, Brock. It's all thanks to Ash and Golduck," she said as she cuddled Marill who was in her lap.

"Huh? Golduck? Misty, you don't possibly mean…" Brock said in confusion.

Misty nodded. "That's right, Brock. Psyduck evolved. To save me."

Brock's mouth gaped in shock for a few seconds, before his expression changed into one of relief.

"That's good," he said, "So anyway, where did you stay while you were there, Ash? Surely you couldn't have gone for two days on the couch?"

"Actually, about that…" I smirked, embarrassed to tell him before I was relieved of my tension by Misty.

"He slept with _me_, Brock," she said.

"…Huh? Whoa! You two aren't even married and you're already sleeping together? Isn't that a bit too _fast_?" he cried, causing both of us to blush.

"Don't make such a fuss about it, Brock. It's not like I'd make him sleep all alone on the couch in the living room," Misty grinned.

Time seemed to fly as we walked together through the streets of Pewter, the three of us talking about old times and my journeys throughout the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions with Brock, May, Max and Dawn. We all laughed as Brock mentioned me not letting Dawn get anywhere near the special lure that Misty gave me, causing me to blush in front of her. We shortly went into the nearby PokéMart to buy some antidotes, in the case we would need them on the way. Then, with all preparations made, we walked towards the woods of Viridian Forest, Misty shaking nervously as we drew closer to the trees.

"Mist, are you sure you're gonna be alright?" I asked in a concerned tone.

"I'll be OK, Ash…I think," she nervously replied.

"You know, you could always go on Charizard. You can go on ahead yourself, and Brock and I will catch up with you soon," I said.

"That's alright, Ash," she shook her head and smiled, looking much more confident than before, "We'll just go through the forest together – it'll be just like old times, and it's been years since I've actually done any traveling with you two. And besides, we've got a whole day for travel time, and I've got three protectors with me, don't I?" she said, referring to me, Brock and Golduck.

"…Right," I smiled, "Well, I guess we better get on our way, then."

* * *

**(Some time later)**

As we walked calmly together through the forest, I stopped and looked to my side towards the place from where I heard a low, faint humming noise.

"Wait here, you guys, I think I hear something over there," I said to them, as I walked in the direction of the sound and brushed aside several branches of shrubs, to behold…

Beedrill… Several swarms of them were nested together, with many hives being visible hanging from the branches of trees. A few of them caught sight of me and Pikachu, as the entire swarm began to charge towards us.

"Run!" I yelled, running back to Brock and Misty with Pikachu.

"Pikaaa!" he cried, as Brock and Misty came back into view.

"Hey, what's wrong, Ash—aaaa!" Brock said in confusion, before wailing as I grabbed both of them by the arms, forcing them to run with me.

"It's a swarm of Beedrill! Come on!" I cried, causing Misty's face to go blue with fear as she started to run the fastest out of all of us.

"Ash! Do something! Can't you call out Charizard to scare them off?" she screamed.

"I can't use Charizard _here_, Misty, we're in the middle of a _forest_! Just keep running!" I yelled, as the Beedrill continued to gain on us with great speed. Then suddenly, Misty tripped over a blunt rock embedded in the ground and fell to the ground on her knee, causing her to receive a cut which started to let out blood.

"Misty!" I yelled, turning around to go back for her. I grabbed her by her legs and back, before starting to run again with her in my arms. But carrying her slowed me down considerably, as the swarm of Beedrill were now amassing above us. I hastily grabbed Golduck's Pokéball from her waist belt and released it.

"Golduck!" he bellowed.

"Golduck, help us out!" I yelled, "Use Psychic! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Golduck!" he cried, before unleashing a wave of Psychic energy alongside Pikachu's Thunderbolt against the swarm, causing several Beedrill to fall to the ground or scatter and flee. But they were only a small fraction of their total numbers, as the angry swarm now seemed to blot out the sun itself from our view.

"We need extra firepower! Croagunk, go!" Brock yelled, releasing his Pokémon from its Pokéball, "Use Poison Sting! Ward off as many Beedrill as you can!"

"Croa!" it cried, unleashing a massive volley of dark purplish darts against our attackers. But it was also no use. No matter how many Psychic, Thunderbolt and Poison Sting attacks we would unleash against them, the swarm of Beedrill would not relent, as they continued to mass for their final assault. Pikachu, Golduck and Croagunk were now exhausted, not having any more energy to attack.

As the Beedrill rained down towards us in a free-falling motion, I hugged Misty tight, laying her on the ground and covering her body and head with my chest to protect her. But then, a massive wave of wind as powerful as a Whirlwind attack started to blow from over us, blowing many of the Beedrill away from us, sending them hurtling into nearby trees or simply scaring them away with its ferocious power. The great gusts gave us just enough time to take cover by scuttling towards the trees and holding them tight. When the wind subsided, the Beedrill who had not been knocked unconscious against trees scattered and fled, leaving us relieved and thankful to still be alive.

"Mist…are you ok?" I asked her softly as I held her, caressing the side of her face.

"My knee has a slight cut on it…but I'm alright," she replied.

"What could _that _have been?" Brock said as we all looked up at the sky to see the cause for our rescue and the great shadow which now loomed over us.

Flying directly above us among a great host of flying Pokémon were three familiar sights, of which two were old friends who I thought I'd never see again. I walked over to get a closer look at them, shocked by what my eyes were showing me as I murmured in disbelief.

"It…can't be…"

**(End of Chapter 11)**

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**A/N:** Who are the Pokémon that saved them? Most of you can probably guess it for yourself, but it will be revealed in the next chapter, as I wanted this one to end with a sort of cliff-hanger ;) . Anyway, that's the end for Chapter 11. Please leave your reviews!

**A/N (Fixes): **Thanks to airoh and Eevee5501892 for pointing out my error in that I wrote Viridian Forest as being between Pallet Town and Viridian City, instead of Viridian City and Pewter. I guess it just slipped my mind somehow . I picked out all of the incorrect sections I could find regarding that mistake, and added corrections. If anything is still wonky, please point them out to me.

**A/N2:** I'm doing all that I can for this story right now, so I can get it finished before I actually start studying for my end-of-year exams. I'm hoping to get this story wrapped up before the end of my school holidays on October 30, so we'll just have to see how it goes.

**! –** You can keep up to date with how this story's coming along, and the estimated release date of the next chapters, by seeing the bottom of my profile, under ***Notifications section regarding upcoming stories/chapters*****.**


	12. An Old Promise and Homecoming

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**An Old Promise and Homecoming**

"It…can't be…"

Hovering above me in front of a vast flock of pidgey, pidgeotto and spearow were two friends from years gone past – my Pidgeot and Butterfree. Pidgeot flapped his wings majestically, slowly descending to the ground and landing in front of me. He was followed shortly after by Butterfree, who was accompanied by what appeared to be his mate and children. The third Pokémon remained not clearly visible for a time as he hovered directly below the level of the sun, but when he also landed, I was shocked to see that it was the old Fearow who had been the long-time enemy and rival to Pidgeot. Although my mind was wracked with confusion at this, I instinctively moved towards my old companion, overcome by emotion.

"Pidgeot…is that really…you, buddy?" I murmured.

"Pidgeot…" he cooed softly. I looked blankly into his eyes for a brief moment before falling to my knees, burying my face into his feathered chest.

"Oh Pidgeot, I'm so sorry," I sobbed, hugging his body, "I promised you that I'd return straight after I was done with my journeys in the Orange Islands…to come back for you…and I never even did. How can you ever forgive me?"

"…Pidgeot…" he softly cried, embracing me warmly with his outstretched wings, telling me that it was alright.

"Butterfree…" my other former companion cried, as I broke my hug with Pidgeot to look up at him.

"Hey Butterfree," I smiled, "It's so good to see _you _again, too. Is that your family with you?"

"Free~~ Butterfree~" it replied joyously, as his family greeted me also. After smiling at them, my attention turned back to Pidgeot.

"But Pidgeot, how did this happen? How come your flock's here together with Fearow's? Didn't you guys use to be enemies?" I asked.

"Pidgeot~~ geot, Pidgey, ge, geot, Pidgeot!"

"Really? That's great!" I grinned, "But how did that happen?"

Pidgeot continued to explain to me the cause for the co-operation between the two flocks, as I listened to him carefully.

"What's he saying, Ash?" Misty asked, after Pidgeot had stopped speaking.

"He says that their flocks are no longer enemies, but good friends with each other now. I couldn't believe that it happened at first, but he's just explained to me, that two years after we parted with him, a group of Pokémon poachers began to cause trouble in Viridian Forest and the outlying areas. They captured a lot of Pokémon from both of their flocks as well as causing damage and deforestation to some parts of the forest, and even captured Fearow and his flock one day. But then, Pidgeot came with his flock and freed them from their cages. The poachers were soon arrested by the local police, and since that day, the two flocks have been living in harmony, working together to make sure that nothing like that happens again in the forest," I said to her, causing both her and Brock to smile in relief at the news.

"But what about Butterfree? What's up with him being here as well? The last time we saw him was when he left to be with his mate, near Saffron City!" Brock commented.

"Well…" I wondered, "I guess he just wanted to raise his family in an environment in Kanto that's friendly to bug Pokémon. And there's not much natural places for bug Pokémon to make their habitats in, around Saffron City. Is that how it is, Butterfree?" I smiled as I asked him, receiving a happy, confirming cry in response. "Hey, I know…" I then said, reaching for my Pokébelt, "All of you, come on out!"

With a flash of light, Charizard, Gliscor, Sceptile, Glalie and Staraptor all came out, stretching themselves after coming out of the confinement of their own Pokéballs. They all turned to face Pidgeot and Butterfree, a glint appearing in Charizard's eyes as he saw two of his old comrades again.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Pidgeot and Butterfree, two of my very first Pokémon, apart from Pikachu," I said to them, as Charizard walked up to Pidgeot, their wings clasping in recognition as they greeted each other after several years apart. Butterfree then floated over to say hello to Charizard as the dragon looked at him, giving him a cheerful thumbs-up with his right hand. Pikachu scampered over to Pidgeot and leapt forward as the great bird caught him in his wing, smiling at the yellow mouse who playfully stroked through his feathers. The other Pokémon in my party soon took turns in greeting both Pidgeot and Butterfree; Staraptor taking particular interest in Pidgeot as the two briefly conversed. But after spending a few minutes catching up with the two of them, I soon became dismayed as I realized that we had to be on our way.

"Pidgeot, Butterfree," I started, "It's good to see you guys again, but…we have to be on our way to Pallet Town now. You have to lead the others, to defend the forest and its Pokémon, Pidgeot. And Butterfree…you have a family of your own to take care of."

Pidgeot smiled as he shook his head, before pointing his right wing towards the flock once more. From the back of their numbers emerged five other Pidgeots and four other Fearow. Although not as powerful or possessing leadership which rivaled that of their two leaders, their appearances showed that they were more than capable of leading the flocks in their own right, in the case of either of their leaders' absences.

"Pidgeot…does this mean that…you can come _with _me?" I asked, my heart beating with both hope and confusion. He nodded once more in confirmation, causing me to run up to him and hug him tightly again. "Well, I guess that's settled, then. I'm glad to finally have you back with us again, Pidgeot. What about you, Butterfree?" I said, turning my head to him.

"Free, Butterfree, Free~ree, Butter, Free," he cried out happily.

"Really? You can bring your family along with you? That's great! I'm so happy to finally have you guys back together with me after so long!" I smiled.

Pidgeot then turned around to face the united flock, as a teardrop glistened from his right eye. Spreading his wings out wide, he uttered a great howl, as the Pidgeots and Fearow bowed their heads slightly in respect to their leader. Pidgeot then walked up to the Leader Fearow, his once-nemesis and now his second in command, and nodded his head softly. The Fearow made a curtsey-like gesture with his neck to say goodbye, before Pidgeot gave him a final look as he returned to my side. Fearow then flapped his wings out wide, lifting himself off the ground as he was followed by all of the other flying Pokémon and departed with them, as we watched them fly off into the horizon.

"Well then," Brock said, a few seconds after the flock left, "I guess we should keep going. But before that, we should tend to Misty's wound."

"Mm," I nodded, gently laying Misty down against a tree. I took out an antiseptic bandage from the medicine box inside our bag, wrapping it around the wound on her leg. "Are you gonna be alright, Mist?" I asked her softly.

"Of course, Ash," she replied, "Don't worry about me."

"How could I _not _worry about you, Mist?" I said almost tearfully, as I looked down, "I could've _lost_ you today…"

Misty didn't speak a word. Instead, she gently caressed the side of my head, running her fingers through several locks of my hair before pulling me close to her and kissing my forehead. I then helped her up to her feet as she winced slightly in pain, before proceeding to walk normally again. Charizard, Pidgeot, Staraptor and Gliscor flew above us to look for any other potential threats, while Sceptile, Glalie, Croagunk and Golduck travelled alongside us, as we made our way towards the end of the forest, many miles away.

* * *

**(Night)**

After a full day of walking, we finally exited the woods of Viridian Forest at night, to be greeted by the heart-lifting sight of the street lights of Viridian City, which shined dimly in the distance. I chuckled quietly to myself as we walked, as Misty sighed beside me, looking extremely relieved after leaving the forest. She had literally hugged me from behind every time she heard even the slightest sound in the forest, whether it be a branch breaking or the soft crying of bug Pokémon which were far away. And every time she did so, I reminded her of all of the protection she was receiving from us, which itself did little to help the situation.

A few minutes later, we entered the Pokémon Center to be met by Nurse Joy at the counter. We recalled our Pokémon back into our Pokéballs, while Pidgeot and Butterfree followed behind us due to me no longer having their Pokéballs. She seemed to have her senses jolted by the sight of me; whether it was because of her being the Nurse Joy Misty and I saw on the day we had first entered Viridian City all those years ago, the one who had brought Misty her fixed bike, or simply because she may have seen the broadcast of my battle with Lance, we couldn't tell.

"Hello, Master Ketchum!" she smiled brightly at us, lifting us from our melancholy mood of fatigue.

'_**Master**__ Ketchum?' _I thought, _'That's a title that I'm gonna take some time to get used to.'_

"Hi, Nurse Joy," I replied.

"You look quite exhausted. Do you require a room for tonight?" she asked.

"Yes, please," I answered politely, "We'd really appreciate that."

"Oh, Nurse Joy," Brock went on with yet another one of his wooing attempts as he took the beautiful nurse by her hands, "I need no bed – just time to spend alone, with the most beauteous, angelic and kind-hearted woman in the world, that is _you-iiiii!" _he wailed, as another Poison Jab came flying in his direction from Croagunk who had busted out of his Pokéball as always, to relieve women from Brock's flirtatious gestures. He reluctantly drew away from Nurse Joy, his eyes almost teary due to both the pain, and the fact that he had failed again to win the heart of yet another beautiful woman.

"He sure takes the pressure off _me _to do that, nowadays," Misty chuckled.

Nurse Joy found herself softly giggling to herself, before she looked up at us again. "Alright then, Master Ketchum, please come this way," she smiled, gesturing towards the hallway with her hand.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," I said as we started walking after her, "But really, just call me Ash. I'm not the type of person who's formal with speech, anyway."

She looked at me over her shoulder, the expression on her face initially showing surprised emotions, before her rosy lips turned to a smile again as she looked forward once more.

"Oh yeah, I forgot…" I realized, "Nurse Joy, is there a place for my Pidgeot, as well as my Butterfree and his family to stay? You see, I released the two of them years ago, and ran into them again, just hours ago."

"Sure, Ash," she replied brightly, "I'll take you to one of the larger-sized rooms down the hall. There'll be extra places for them to sleep, as well as a thermal heater to keep them warm."

"Butterfree~~" Butterfree cried happily, as he perched himself temporarily on Nurse Joy's shoulder as she smiled, caressing him gently as we walked down the hallway.

Moments later, we were all set up in the room, as I covered Pidgeot with a blanket after laying him on the bed. The great bird closed his eyes to sleep after assuming a position in which he lay on the bed, stomach facing down. Butterfree and his family positioned themselves close to the heater, as they couldn't all fit under the sheets of one of the beds. Before she left, I told Nurse Joy about the minor wound that Misty had suffered while running from the Beedrill. Upon examining the bandage that I had applied, she complimented me for doing a great job on it, and confirmed that Misty will be perfectly fine, which gave me great relief. After confirming that everything and everyone were in place, Nurse Joy turned off the light switch, as the room became illuminated solely by the moonlight. Misty, Brock and I each took separate beds; Pikachu and Marill sitting on the foot of me and Misty's beds as we turned our faces towards Nurse Joy.

"Well, have a good night! I'll be in the room down the hallway if you need anything!" she said.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy! Goodnight to you too!" I replied.

"Goodnight, Nurse Joy," Misty said.

"Good…night…" Brock uttered glumly, causing the two of us to chuckle at him. But then, the Nurse Joy did something completely unexpected: she smiled at him, before walking towards him and planting a soft kiss on his forehead, making him blush redder than a tomato.

"Goodnight…" she said softly, leaving Brock stunned before she walked out of the room and turned left at the corridor.

"_Did she…just…"_ Misty stuttered, sitting up from her bed.

"I think she did…" I murmured, doing the same.

"Whooooa!" Brock exclaimed in a hushed whisper, resting his fists against his chin and shaking them along with his head, side to side, "This is the best night ever! _I love you, Nurse Joy~~!_"

The two of us chuckled lightly at him, before leaning back onto our pillows as we all soon fell asleep.

Sometime later, I was woken from my sleep as I sensed someone standing over me. I opened my eyes dully, to see that it was Misty.

"Whatcha' doin' out of bed, Mist?" I asked as quietly as possible so as to not wake the others, although I did have a hunch that Pidgeot might have heard me due to his heightened senses.

"I couldn't sleep. My bed's too cold," she complained.

"My bed's all warm, Mist, and every bed is the same…how can yours be cold?" I chuckled.

"_Fine then, mister,_" she hissed, _"I just want in, with you."_

"Thought so," I smiled, before pulling aside the covers on the side to make room for her to get in. She came into my bed, her body almost feeling like ice as we came into contact. I promptly held her against me to warm her up as I kissed her on the neck, exhaling warm breaths on her. "I see that you weren't kidding about the cold, honey. But I gotta admit – that excuse was a pretty good idea," I sniggered, as she replied by softly pinching me near my right shoulder blade, before kissing me on the lips.

"You know, Ash…it's funny how we brought the sleeping bag along, but ended up not needing it. I guess I didn't expect us to get here, after covering such a great distance in so short a time," she giggled.

"It must have been all that running away from the Beedrill," I grinned, "I've never seen you run so fast in my entire life!"

"Well…you know me when it comes to bugs…" she smiled, touching her nose against mine, "Goodnight, Ash."

"Goodnight, Mist," I said to her, caressing her hair as we kissed, before falling asleep again.

* * *

**(The next morning)**

(Misty's POV)

After spending the night in the Pokémon Center, the three of us started off again towards Pallet Town, Pidgeot, Butterfree and his family flying above us. As we walked away from the Pokémon Center, Brock was dragging his feet reluctantly across the ground, while peering over his shoulder to look at Nurse Joy who waved at us from the entrance with a smile on her face.

"Ugh," he sighed, finally managing to turn his head back forward, "I'll never have another experience like that for a _long _time…"

"Aww…don't worry, Brock," I smiled, "You're _bound _to meet and fall in _real _love with someone, _someday_…though I sure hope that you don't end up hooking up with a Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny…"

"Hmm…I wouldn't mind that at all!" Brock laughed, before I gave him a painful nudge on his side.

After a little over an hour of walking and coming across the very pond from which I fished Ash out of the water all those years ago, the quiet and peaceful streets of Pallet Town came into view as we ascended a hill. The sight of it brought a smile to all of our lips, especially Ash who couldn't wait to see his mom again.

"Wow, Ash Ketchum. For once in our lives, you _didn't _get us lost, but did quite the opposite!" I joked.

"_Hey_! What's _that _supposed to mean, Misty?" he barked.

"Oh…never mind I said anything. I'm just proud of you, that's all," I replied, kissing him on the cheek, cooling down his attitude almost immediately as he gave a slight smirk. _How_ that always worked like a charm, after he came back! …Though I have to admit that he's done it a few times on me, as well.

"Wanna race the rest of the way to my place?" Ash said, swinging the strap of our bag onto his shoulder.

"You sure, Ash? Last time I checked, you were choking on the weight of our bag, saying that it's almost as heavy as your Snorlax!" I giggled.

"Yeah…but I'm just _so _looking forward to getting home again! Let's go!" he cheerfully shouted, as he started to dash down the hill along with Pikachu.

"Wait up, Ash!" Brock cried as we started to run after him. Despite the weight of the bag, Ash was moving the fastest of the three of us, causing me to smile at his energy and enthusiasm.

Some things'll never change…

* * *

"He~~~y! Anybody home?" Ash cried as we drew closer to his door. It opened just as Ash stepped up onto the mat in front of the entrance, revealing a clown-like Pokémon who was overjoyed to see him.

"Mime! Mr. Mime!" he happily cried.

"Hey, Mr. Mime, it's so good to see you!" Ash laughed, hugging him, "Is mom home?"

"Mime!" he replied, pointing to the direction of the living room.

"That's great! I'll be there in just a sec!" Ash said, as he looked behind him towards Pidgeot and Butterfree. "Hey, why don't you guys go on ahead to Professor Oak's lab? I'm sure that Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Muk and Kingler will be so happy to see you guys again!"

"Pidgeot!"

"Butterfree!" the two of them cried happily, as they started to fly towards the lab. Although Butterfree himself had never met Kingler or Muk, we were all sure that he would make great friends with them, as well as all of Ash's other Pokémon.

"Come on, guys, let's go in!" Ash turned to us, as we soon followed him into the house. As we came to the living room, we found Delia, Ash's mother, seated on the sofa alongside another woman and a man, as well as May and Max, who came from the Hoenn region.

"Honey, you're finally home!" Delia cried as she rushed from the coffee table to give him a hug.

"Hey, mom," Ash said, returning her hug. After quite a long time, they broke contact with each other. As I looked at her face in person, compared to via the video phone through which I talked to her regularly, it was clear that the years had been very kind to her - despite now being in her mid-thirties at the age of 37, Delia still had the look of an extremely beautiful young woman, with hardly a wrinkle starting to form on her face.

"Go on, you two. Say hello to Ash!" said the woman seated on the sofa. May and Max then rushed up to us also, looking very happy to see us. Both of them had changed a lot over the years; May's hair was now no longer covered by her trademark bandanna, but let loose by her sides with radiant curls which reminded me of Daisy. Max was also now noticeably taller and his hair longer than before, as he wore a dark t-shirt.

"Misty!" May cried, overjoyed as we hugged each other.

"Hey, you guys!" Max said as he walked up, shaking Ash and Brock's hand while I held May in a hug. After drawing apart from May, I then hugged Max as well, as May hugged Ash and Brock.

"It's been such a long time! How have you guys been?" Ash asked them.

"We've been great! I've been winning a lot more ribbons than ever before, and Max has even won all eight badges in the Hoenn region!" said May.

"Really? That's great! Although it must've felt pretty weird to battle your own dad, Max," Ash grinned.

"Hehehe…it sure _was,_" Max chuckled, "You should check out my Pokémon! I'll show them to you later."

"Sure will," Ash said.

"Oh, Misty, I almost forgot to tell you something very important…" May said, her face going red with embarrassment.

"What is it, May?" I asked.

"Something wonderful has happened to me. It makes me feel so happy that I can't-"

"Drew told her of how he really feels about her, just the other week. The two of them are a couple now. That's basically what she's gonna say," Max said, cutting her off abruptly.

"Hey, Max! I was about to say that myself! That was so rude of you!" May yelled.

"Yeah, well, if I _didn't _cut you off, right now you'd be going on and on about the 'wonderful event in your life, that soothes your very soul', et cetera, et cetera. And then we'd all be- ow!" Max said drearily before wailing in pain, waving his arms about as May pulled him on the cheek, as the three of us laughed quietly.

"That's great to hear, May! I'm really happy for you!" I said to her as she released her grip on Max.

"Thanks, Misty. So are you still single yourself? ...or have you found that 'special person' you've always told me about?" May giggled.

"As a matter of fact, I _have,_" I smiled.

"_Really_? Who is it?" May asked, wide-eyed.

"He's right here!" I grinned, elbowing Ash's arm lightly, as May and Max's faces changed into shocked expressions.

"Ohh, that's so wonderful! My precious boy has finally fallen in love! I always knew things would turn out, just like this!" Delia cried joyously.

"Huh? What do you mean by that, mom?" Ash asked, puzzled.

"Honey, I always knew from the very day I saw you and Misty together, that the two of you were bound to end up with one another! It was obvious even when the two of you would fight. And we always said that fighting is one of the strongest hints that two people really care about each other!"

"Oh…right…" Ash replied, looking down at the floor in embarrassment as he laughed quietly.

"Hey! Are those…your parents?" I asked May after a brief silence.

"Yeah," she replied, before turning to them, "Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Misty, the gym leader of Cerulean City."

"Pleased to meet you too, dear. My name's Caroline," the lady greeted.

"I'm Norman, the leader of the Petalburg Gym. Pleased to meet you, as well," greeted the man.

"Hello. It's good to finally meet one of my best friend's parents!" I said.

"Huh? _Best friend_?" asked Brock.

"Oh…I don't think I've told you this, you guys, but after May returned to her home in Petalburg after she and Max finished their journeys with you two, we started to talk regularly with each other via the video phone. Since then, she became one of my best friends, and one of the two people who were always there to provide me with encouragement when I had difficulties in my job as Gym Leader, along with your mom, Ash," I explained.

"I'm happy to hear that, Mist. I was afraid that there would be no-one to talk to you often while you were in the Cerulean Gym, apart from your sisters," Ash said.

"Thanks for always worrying about me, Ash. That's so sweet," I replied, holding his hand.

* * *

After about 15 minutes of conversation and having some afternoon tea, Delia rose from the sofa and turned to Ash.

"Dear, why don't you go over to Professor Oak's lab? Professors Elm and Birch are over there with him waiting for you, and I'm sure Tracey and Gary will be delighted to see you as well!" she said.

"OK, mom. That sounds grea-…urgh…" Ash's teeth suddenly clenched shut as he was about to finish his last word, before he let out a sigh of reluctance. It didn't take more than a second for me and Brock to start softly chuckling to ourselves, as we knew that his choked reaction was all because of Gary, his long-time rival. "Well, I guess we should pay them a visit, then," he said as he left the room, "May, Max, you guys coming?"

"Of course, Ash! Let's go!" May said.

"Bye, mom! Bye Mr. and Mrs. Maple! We'll be back soon!" Ash said as he gave them a slight wave, before we all walked outside.

"Bye! Take care now!" Delia said.

"Mr. Mime!" the Pokémon called out from the kitchen as he waved at us.

As we walked in the direction of Professor Oak's lab, we felt a small tremor in the ground, which grew greater and greater as the sound of rumbling hooves became audible.

"Oh, no! It's my Tauros herd again! Run!" Ash cried as we started frantically running after him. The herd could be seen approaching in our direction as I looked over my shoulder, before whimpering as I faced forward again. But then, as the herd threatened to catch up to us and run us over, Butterfree and his family flew overhead, scattering a thick blanket of Sleep Powder over them, lulling them asleep and rendering them harmless.

"Whew, that was a close one," Ash said as he walked over to them, "Thanks a lot, you guys."

"Free! Butterfree!" they cried cheerfully.

Now safe from Ash's Tauros herd due to Butterfree's intervention, we walked towards Professor Oak's lab, to be greeted by all of Ash's other Pokémon who were gathered together due to the news of his coming. Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Bayleef leapt onto him, causing him to fall backwards onto his back as he hugged them all, as the others all crowded around us.

"Hey, you guys, it's so great to see all of you again- aaaa~mmphh~!" Ash laughed, before wailing in terror as he was smothered by a _very_ happy-looking Muk.

"Come on out, guys!" May smiled, releasing her Venusaur, Blaziken, Munchlax, Beautifly, Blastoise (who evolved from Wartortle some time ago) and Glaceon, as her now-evolved Delcatty emerged from behind the crowd of Pokémon. Venusaur promptly went over to Ash's Bulbasaur who was standing alongside Torterra, as Munchlax strolled towards Snorlax who was asleep against a tree, but was awoken by the familiar sound of his friend's voice. Beautifly fluttered over to meet Ash's Butterfree and his family, as they began to fly together in the air, creating a beautiful display. Blaziken took particular interest in Ash's Infernape, while Blastoise went off together with Ash's Squirtle, and Glaceon and Delcatty started to run off with Pikachu and Marill, playing a game of tag together.

"Looks like it's my turn now!" Max said as he held his hand to his Pokébelt, "All of you, come out!"

As Max released his Pokémon from their Pokéballs, I became very impressed with his choice and variety of Pokémon. In his team was a very sturdy-looking Swampert, as well as a Vigoroth, Swellow, Kirlia, Manetric and Roselia, who were quickly greeted and befriended by Ash's Pokémon.

After coming out of Muk's tight embrace, Ash released his other Pokémon from their Pokéballs; Sceptile headed over to greet Infernape and May's Blaziken, while Staraptor, Glalie and Gliscor flew over to join Swellow, Pidgeot and Noctowl. Meanwhile, Charizard flew above and over the crowd, towards a young Charmander who looked very happy to see him, as he held the small Pokémon in his arms.

"Hey Ash, since when did you have another Charmander?" I asked him.

"Oh, him? I didn't catch him at all. That's Charizard's son," he replied.

"_Son?_" I replied, shocked.

"Yeah. Remember Charla, the female Charizard from the Charisific Valley who Charizard fell in love with? They had a son together, and now he's been put under Professor Oak's care."

"Awww, that's so sweet!" May and I cried together in unison.

"Heracross~~" cried the large beetle-like Pokemon as he emerged from the crowd, a happy look on his face as he flew towards the unsuspecting Venusaur and proceeding to suck sap from the large flower atop of her back, as she looked up to him in confusion. However, she was soon relieved of her discomfort, as Bulbasaur warded Heracross off with a gentle lash of his Vine Whip.

"Bulbasaur…Bulba, Bulbasaur, saur, bulba!" he sighed. ("For the love of God…Never mind him – he just loves our sap for some weird reason!")

"Venu…saur…" she replied. ("O…k…")

All of us chuckled at the cute sight, before Ash averted his attention back towards the lab. "Well, I guess it's time to head into the lab now," he said before he turned to face his Pokémon, "Go ahead and have fun, you guys!"

All of the Pokémon rejoiced as they immediately went off in their own directions in small groups. As we entered the lab, we saw Professors Oak, Elm and Birch, working alongside Gary and Tracey in conducting more Pokémon research. However, I couldn't help but look at another individual who was standing next to Gary, looking on as he worked. A girl I had never seen before.

"Professor Oak, I'm back!" Ash said.

"Oh, hello there, Ash! And I see that you've also brought Misty and Brock with you as well! Hello to you all!" he merrily replied.

"Hi, Professor!" me and Brock said.

"It's been a long time, Ash! It's good to see you!" Professor Elm said as he walked up to Ash, the two of them shaking hands with one another.

"I haven't seen you in a long time either, Ash! And to think that you've finally achieved the rank of Champion! That's such a great achievement! Congratulations!" said Professor Birch as Ash shook his hand as well.

"Thanks, Professors," Ash smiled.

"Hi, you guys! I haven't seen you all in person for years!" said Tracey. There wasn't much visible change in his features since the last time I saw him, except that his hair was slightly longer.

"Hi, Tracey!" we greeted with a smile on our lips, before mine was wiped off as Gary emerged from behind him.

"Well, well, well. Lookie' here! Ashy-boy has finally decided to show up!" he smirked.

"…and hi to you too, Gary…" Ash sighed.

"Aww, don't gimme' that! Come here, you little numskull!" Gary chuckled, coming forward and giving an unsuspecting Ash a playful noogie on his head as he wailed with displeasure.

"Some things never change, I guess," I giggled, before noticing the girl standing behind Gary once more. After Gary had finished tormenting Ash, I posed him the question. "Hey Gary…who's that behind you?"

"This? Oh…where are my manners?" he grinned, before clearing his throat.

"He had manners to begin with?" Ash chuckled hoarsely, before clutching the top of his head in pain as Gary gave him another soft punch humorously in frustration.

"I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Amanda Rogers!" Gary announced, as the girl emerged from behind him. She was quite a pretty girl, with long brown hair and blue eyes, and her head was covered by a white, brimmed hat with red lines around the edges, and a red symbol on the front resembling half a Pokéball. She wore a sleeveless blue shirt, a red wristband on her right wrist, and a red skirt which stopped just above her knees. **(*)**

"Hi there," she said in a very delicate voice.

"Wow, fancy that," Brock said, "Since when did you ditch that cheer squad of yours anyway, Gary?"

"Oh, that was a long time ago. To be precise, _they _left _me_. Besides, it's not like they'd wanna stick around this place while I did research with gramps and Tracey," Gary replied.

"I guess that's true," Ash said, "Anyway, has anything else been going on around here while I was away, Professor Oak?"

"Oh, not much at all to be honest, Ash," he replied, "Just the usual research work and—_my, what in the name is this wind?"_

Professor Oak was cut off by a great gust which hurtled throughout the lab from the open windows, sending several sheets of paper flying in all directions. But we soon became concerned and fearful, as we realized that the wind was not being blown _into _the lab, but rather sucking things _out _of it. It could only mean one thing…

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried.

* * *

We all rushed out of the lab to find all of our Pokémon huddled together, as the larger Pokémon stood in front of the smaller ones to protect them. Charizard growled in frustration, having been disturbed while he was spending time with his son. Up in the air was none other than Team Rocket, in the same-old Meowth Balloon, save for two large suction tubes on its sides, and a body which was coated in steel plating.

"What are _those _guys doing here?" I moaned.

"Heh. Well…at least we can be thankful that they're not wasting any time by reciting that dumb motto of theirs again!" Ash smirked.

"Oh, thank you, twerp! That reminds us!" James cried from the balloon.

"Nice going, Mr. Pokémon Master…" I sighed, rolling my eyes as Team Rocket started their all too-familiar ranting.

_###_

_Listen, is that a voice I hear?_

_It's speaking to me loud and clear._

_On the wind!_

_Past the stars!_

_In your ear!_

_Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace._

_Dashing hope, putting fear in its place._

_A rose by any other name is just as sweet._

_When everything's worse, our work is complete._

_Jessie!_

_And it's James!_

_And Meowth, now dat's a name!_

_Putting the do-gooders in their place…_

…_we're Team Rocket…_

…_in your face!_

_Wobbuffet! __**(*2)**_

_###_

"Well…that was _original, _for a change!" I said, dumbfounded by the change in their motto.

"Brock and I've heard it all before. It's just another one of their dumb variations they started when I traveled through Sinnoh!" Ash grumbled.

"Shouldn't we do something, Professor Oak?" asked Professor Elm.

"Now, now, don't be so worried, Thomas. They can take care of themselves. Just wait and see!" said Professor Oak, as Professor Birch nodded at his remark.

"Hand us all of dose' Pokémon now, or we'll suck them up by force!" Meowth bellowed through the loudspeaker on the balloon.

"Never! You're not getting away with anything!" Ash yelled back.

"Alright then, have it _your _way!" Jessie's teasing voice rang out, as the two tubes attached to the balloon started to suck air in at max power, causing the smaller Pokémon to grip onto the ground to avoid being carried away.

"We've gotta do something, Ash!" I cried.

"Don't worry, Mist. I've got this," Ash said calmly, surprising me with his ice-cool composure, "You ready, Gary?"

"Ready when _you _are, Ash!" he said as he gave a thumbs up.

"Okay, let's get started! Bulbasaur, Bayleef, Torterra, give em' a Razor Leaf attack! Clog up those tubes!" Ash commanded, as the three grass Pokémon unleashed a barrage of leaves, which quickly entered each of the two massive tubes which continued to suck air.

"Help em' out, Venusaur! Use _your _Razor Leaf as well!" May ordered, as her Venusaur added its attack.

"Go, Roselia! Give it all you've got!" Max cried, as his Roselia let loose a spiral of leaves from its hands.

"What the…Meowth, you idiot! Why didn't you expect this kind of thing to happen _before_?" James bellowed angrily, sucker-punching Meowth on top of his head as the feline Pokémon giggled with fear.

"OK! Muk, give em' a sludge bomb!" Ash yelled.

"Muuuk~~" the gunky Pokémon roared, as he unleashed wave after wave of thick sludge, quickly sealing the tubes shut, so that no leaves could fall out of it.

"Argh! This is it! Playtime is over!" Jessie roared, "Go, Seviper!"

"Go, Carnivine!" James cried, as the two Pokémon let out cries as they emerged from their Pokéballs, Carnivine immediately leaping onto his trainer, "Eeee~! Not me, at them! At them!"

Seviper and Carnivine immediately faced downwards from the balloon, as they fired their Poison Sting and Bullet Seed in our direction. Scoffing at the attacks which came towards us, Charizard gave a mighty flamethrower attack, burning up both of their attacks and hitting the balloon. But when the smoke subsided, we were all shocked to see that the balloon was unaffected, with hardly a charred mark to be seen on its surface.

"Hahaha! Good work, Mr. Mime!" James laughed, as the clown Pokémon revealed itself by popping its head above the body of the balloon. It was clear that it had used its Reflect, Light Screen and Barrier shields prior to their appearance, to protect the balloon against all attacks from the ground.

"Your attacks are useless now, twerp! Whatcha' gonna do now?" Jessie sniggered.

"Gary, I've got an idea. Cover my Pokémon, and I'll handle the rest," Ash said.

"OK, Ash. Just give me the word," Gary replied, releasing his Blastoise and Electivire from their Pokéballs.

"Misty, call out your Golduck. I have an idea. Trust me," he said to me. I nodded as I put my faith in him, and released Golduck from his Pokéball.

"Golduck, I want you to do exactly as Ash tells you. You got that?" I asked.

"Gol~" he replied, giving me a thumbs up.

"Charizard, Pidgeot and Staraptor, take Infernape, Blaziken and Golduck on your backs. We're gonna break all of those barriers with a Brick Break attack. Gliscor, Noctowl, Heracross and Swellow, stick right behind them, and do as I tell you," Ash said to his Pokémon who nodded at him, as Ash's Infernape, May's Blaziken and my Golduck mounted the backs of Charizard, Pidgeot and Staraptor. From their balloon, Team Rocket seemed to raise an eyebrow as they looked intently at Pidgeot, recognizing him from years ago.

"So, you've come across one of your old Pokemon, have you, twerp? Well, _two _can play that game!" cried Jessie, causing us to look at her in confusion, "Go, Arbok!"

"Huh?" Ash, Brock and I drew back in surprise.

"Go, Weezing!" cried James, revealing his old companion.

"How did they—" I stuttered.

"That's for _us_ to know, and _you_ to never find out!" Jessie shouted, "Go, Arbok and Seviper! Combine your Poison Stings!"

"Weezing, smokescreen! Carnivine, bullet seed!" James cried. Weezing breathed out a smog of black smoke down at us, causing the balloon to disappear out of sight, before a hail of Poison Sting and Bullet Seed attacks came raining down on us.

"Electivire, protect! Blastoise, rapid spin!" Gary reacted quickly, as his Pokémon began to ward off the missile attacks. "The rest is yours, Ash!"

"That's it, you guys, go!" Ash cried, as his flying Pokémon flew off into the air towards the balloon with Infernape, Blaziken and Golduck, dodging and weaving past the shower of Poison Sting and Bullet Seed. During the middle of their flight, Golduck and Noctowl's bodies began to glow with a faint blue hue, signifying that they were using their Foresight to determine the exact location of the balloon. Noctowl and Swellow dissipated the massive smokescreen with their Whirlwind attacks, leaving the balloon in plain view. Arbok, Seviper and Carnivine suddenly stopped firing, surprised by the sight of their foes which were now in plain striking distance.

"Now! All of you, Brick Break!" Ash commanded. With united and swift motion, Infernape, Blaziken and Golduck combined their Brick Break attacks, shattering all three of Team Rocket's barriers in a single strike, before withdrawing back onto the backs of Charizard, Pidgeot and Staraptor who caught them in mid-air. "OK! Now Heracross, Noctowl, Gliscor and Swellow! Cut those ropes!"

Heracross, Noctowl, Gliscor and Swellow then acted all in unison, as they cut the ropes of Team Rocket's balloon using Megahorn, Air Slash, Fury Swipes and Steel Wing, respectively. The balloon instantly began to fall through their air and onto the ground, thudding loudly as it did so, leaving all of those within it stunned.

"Idiots! Why couldn't you think of something like this happening?" Jessie raged at James and Meowth, before looking up as she noticed all of us and our Pokémon looking at them with displeasure.

"Ahehehe, we'll just be…going now!" Meowth giggled fearfully.

"Toodles!" James cried, as the three of them started to run away, their Pokémon running after them.

"Hey Ash…aren't you gonna send them blasting off, like we always do?" I asked him.

"Nah. I'm feeling a bit too tired for it today. I just got back home, too!" he smiled.

"Okay then, suit yourself," I said.

"That was some nice thinking there, Ketchum! Good work!" Gary complimented.

"Don't mention it, Gary. You and May deserve a lot of credit, as well!" Ash replied.

Ash's flying Pokémon, as well as Blaziken, Golduck and Infernape then returned to the company of their friends, after the battle was done. Charizard flew over immediately to embrace his son again, as the young Charmander held his father in a hug of both pride and happiness.

"Well, I guess the only thing left now is to wait for the party! I can't wait for it to start!" May laughed, as all of us returned to the lab to clean up the mess that Team Rocket created, eagerly awaiting the great party that was to unfold this evening.

**(End of Chapter 12)**

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**

**A/N:** Well, that's Chapter 12 for you. God, this chapter is so much longer than the others…my brain feels dead now from three days of consecutive writing... lol.

I brought Pidgeot and Butterfree back into Ash's group because it was quite convenient to do so in this chapter of Book I, rather than have a massive influx of Ash's former Pokémon rejoin him suddenly in Book II. Again, I don't wanna give away too many spoilers, but I'll just say that it _is _for a great battle near the end of Book II.

**A/N2: **There may be a few weird spots in the section where Misty is narrating the events, as I've been writing from Ash's POV for such a long time. Please point them out to me if you see any.

**(*)** – I've actually based Amanda's appearance on Green/Leaf from the Pokémon Adventures manga and Pokémon Firered/Leafgreen female player sprite.

**(*2)** – This is Team Rocket's Sinnoh motto. You can see it and its variants, on Bulbapedia.

**(New) Character Ages: **May (16), Max (14), Norman (38), Caroline (38), Amanda (18), Professor Elm (43), Professor Birch (44). I also remembered that I forgot to include Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum's ages in Chapter 6 where they come in, so I added their ages into that chapter as well. But anyway; Delia Ketchum (37), Professor Oak (58).

- Remember, you can keep track of how the next chapter of this story is coming along, by looking at the bottom section of my profile, which reads ***Notification section regarding upcoming stories/chapters***

Please leave your reviews! :)


	13. Under the Stars

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Under the Stars**

**(Ash's POV)**

It was now just over 7pm, as the party soon became boisterous with life, with people from all over Kanto present to both enjoy themselves, and celebrate my victory. The Pokémon were also having a grand time, as they all frolicked with each other outside. Meanwhile, Butterfree and his family were putting on a magnificently beautiful display along with May's Beautifly, showering the night air with a gold-colored powder and creating a heavenly aroma which was reminiscent of rosemary and lavender, pleasing adults and children alike. All of the other gym leaders of the Kanto region were also present, Erika's Vileplume with a radiant smile on its face as it seemed to be nourished by the pleasant powder in the air, while its trainer was in yet another state of peaceful sleep, sitting on the ground with her back leaned against a willow tree. Gordon Lambert, the new Gym Leader of Viridian City who had been assigned to his position by the Pokémon League HQ was standing outside the veranda, chatting with Gary and Lt. Surge, whose Electivires were having a casual sparring match with each other for entertainment, meters away. Meanwhile, Max was standing with Professors Oak, Elm and Birch, discussing topics such as Pokémon evolution, the ability of certain Pokémon such as Gyarados to learn moves which were not of its type such as Flamethrower, the catalysts for each of the different evolutions of Eevee, and so forth.

"This party sure is great, huh, Mist?" I smiled at Misty who was sitting next to me, a few meters away from where Erika was dozing.

"It sure is, Ash," she replied, holding my arm softly with her hand as we watched over Pikachu who was playing with Marill, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Turning my head towards the house, I spotted Brock who was still trying his hardest to do what he insisted that he was 'best at', by attempting to woo an out-of-uniform Officer Jenny who was also present at the party. However, like all the other times, he hung his head in disappointment, as she quickly disappeared into the crowd while he was distracted by everything else that was going on around him.

"Same old Brock…as always," I chuckled as I looked at the ground.

"Hey, but that girl he's chasing after now…isn't that…Sabrina?" Misty stammered nervously, causing me to look up again as I saw him walking after a tall and slender girl with long, dark hair, before disappearing into the crowd.

"Oh shit…Doesn't he realise that it's her? I hope he doesn't do anything stupid to get into trouble…" I cringed, bad memories revolving around my head of the time he and Misty were turned into dolls by her.

"Nah~…don't worry, Ash. I'm sure it'll be perfectly fine!" she replied with a positive tone.

"Huh? What makes you say that, Mist?" I asked.

"You remember yourself how much she changed after your old Haunter made her laugh, don't you? She's a really loving and caring person now. Pretty funny as well, even, all thanks to that Haunter of yours. And trust me on that – I talked with Sabrina a couple of times over the years, and _boy_ how she's changed," she smiled.

"That's great to hear, Mist—" I said, before a shiver went up my spine as I felt a long, drooling tongue smother the back of my neck, as I turned around to see what it was.

"Haunter, Haunter!" my old ghost Pokémon sniggered, clutching his 'thighs' as he laughed heartily.

"…You could at _least _greet me in a normal way _once in a while_, buddy," I laughed softly as I greeted him, "It's good to see you again. Did you come with Sabrina?"

"Haunter, Haunt," he affirmed with a cheeky grin, before moving over to Misty as he then tried to lift her into the air to scare her. She shrieked, tensing her legs on the ground as she grabbed hold of me to avoid being airborne, before Haunter let her go with a chuckle.

"I _hate _ghost Pokémon so much – almost as much as I hate disgusting bug types! It makes me freak out to remember that time when we had to go to Pokémon Tower in Lavender town, where I got lifted into the air by some ghost Pokémon! I thought I was gonna _die_!" she cried. I laughed silently at her – she was still oblivious to the fact that that was _me, _not a ghost Pokémon, who had lifted her into the air.

"Uhh…you know, Mist…that wasn't actually a Ghost Pokémon…" I whispered into her ear, causing her to tense up again.

"Huh? What do you mean? Surely you're not saying that…" she stammered fearfully, as I nodded at her. Misty's face then seemed to go pale blue, before heating up red as she erupted into a fit of rage, shaking me by the collar. "_OH MY __**GOD**__, ASH KETCHUM! I'M GOING TO __**KILL **__YOU!"_she roared.

"Argh! No, Misty, nooo!" I wailed as she reached behind her back, which could only mean one thing…

***BANG***

The number of stars I could see in the sky suddenly seemed to grow infinite, as a throbbing pain pulsed from the top of my head where the mark from her mallet was now in plain view.

* * *

**(Minutes later)**

A soft breeze of cool wind blew across the garden in which we sat, as the air around us seemed to chill up, causing a tiny shiver to spiral up and down my spine. The aching pain of my temple had died down somewhat, as Misty was now calm and tender again, rubbing and blowing cool breaths upon my sore.

"Come on, Mist. It's getting a bit chilly out here now. Let's go inside," I said to her as I stood up, helping her up to her feet as well.

"OK, Ash," she replied, as we started to walk towards the door of the house, before I noticed Erika still asleep against the willow tree. The grass-type trainer was dazed as we gently shook her awake, seemingly either too fatigued, or too lazy to move. Smiling, Misty and I helped her inside the house and onto a couch, as she promptly went back to sleep.

"Well Ash, what do you wanna do now?" Misty asked me.

"I dunno, Mist. Maybe we could—" I started, before I was interrupted by the loud rumbling of my stomach – a sound that Misty had heard as clearly as I did.

"That dumb stomach of yours…" she moaned, "I swear…sometimes, it has a will of its own…"

We took a handful of refreshments and snacks each, and then made our way towards two chairs which were placed next to each other, next to a lamp stand. Before I knew it, I had finished all of the food which was in my hands, as Misty gave me a dumbfounded look – she had barely finished her second cookie.

"Well, I'll just be a sec, Mist. I'll be right back with some more," I said to her, putting my hands onto the sides of my chair as I prepared to get up, before stopping as I saw Mom standing in front of me with a tray of more refreshments.

"There you are, honey! I've been looking all over for you! Is my darling baby hungry?" she smiled with a very happy tone.

"Mom…I'm not a little kid anymore. Can you _please_ stop calling me that?" I whined, as Misty sniggered at me from the side, causing me to look at her in frustration from the corner of my eye.

"Oh…sorry, honey. It's just an old habit of mine, I guess. Here!" Mom smiled, as she handed me a couple more cupcakes and crackers with double brie cheese. "Don't mind me, dear, but…did you two notice that you're sitting under the mistletoe?" she giggled, as the two of us lurched our backs backwards to behold a large mistletoe hung up on the wall right behind us. How could we not have noticed?

"Thanks for telling us that, Mom," I said in a sarcastic, yet still friendly tone. "Well, I'll see you around!" I smiled, as she beamed at me and walked back into the kitchen area.

"Ash, are you sure you wanna stay here? I mean…people might look at us," Misty said with concern. Memories of a Christmas I had spent with her many years ago came flooding into my head, as I recalled the two of us standing together in the exact same spot, and under the very mistletoe which currently hung above our heads.

"Nah, never mind. It doesn't bother me anymore. Besides, I'm no longer afraid to say that I love you now, aren't I?" I smiled as I rubbed my nose against her, drawing the same reaction from her in reply.

After I had finished my cupcakes while talking with her, I took her by the hands as we both rose to our feet, as I realized that I had something to show her before the night was done.

"Hey Mist, I've got something to show you," I said to her.

"What is it, Ash?" she asked me with puzzled eyes.

"It's a secret," I grinned, "I'll show you in just a little while. But we have to go outside first."

"But Ash, it's cold outside!" she groaned.

"I know," I replied, "I'll be back in just a sec with something warm for you to wear. Just hold on, Mist, and don't go anywhere!"

I left Misty temporarily as she sat down under the mistletoe again, waiting for me to come back. After grabbing two warm coats from the wardrobe in my room, I returned to her, holding her hand again as I led her outside.

"You're gonna like this, Mist. I can promise you that," I smiled as we walked out. Her mouth gaped open so as to ask me another question about what it really was, before she looked forward again and smiled. After walking awhile, I decided that the time had almost come, to show her what I wanted her to see. "Close your eyes, Mist," I said.

"Huh?" she looked at me, baffled.

"Just trust me," I said to her soothingly as she soon agreed, closing her eyes as I guided her over to the bank of the lake and sat down with her.

"_Now _can I open them?" she laughed.

"Alright…_now_."

Misty then opened her eyes, to behold the most wondrous sight that Pallet Town had to offer. The night sky was riddled with countless bright stars, the lake below it gently rocking to and fro from the banks in serene waves, as it glittered from the light of the beautiful half-moon.

"Oh my God, Ash! This is so beautiful!" she cried, curling up into me.

"Told you you'd like it," I smiled, as we leaned towards each other for a passionate kiss. Seconds later, I caught a glimpse of a shooting star from the corner of my eye, as I turned to face it. "Hey Mist, look over there!" I pointed upwards, prompting her to look at the sky.

"A shooting star! Make a wish, Ash, quick!" she grinned, clasping her hands together against her chin in awe.

"Okay. I'll wish for—" I started, before I was interrupted by Misty as she placed her right forefinger against my lip.

"It's supposed to be a _secret_, Ash. _Your own_ secret," she said, as she lowered her hand and placed it over my heart, feeling my pulse which grew stronger and stronger.

"To tell you the truth, Mist…" I replied, gently placing my hand on her cheek, "my wish has already come true."

Hearing my reply seemed to bring joy to Misty's eyes as she rested her head against my chest. We lay on the bank of the river, cuddling together in a state of perfect bliss.

* * *

**(3****rd**** person narrative)**

Delia looked around the house, searching every room for the two teens whom she last saw together under the mistletoe in the living room.

"Where could they be?" she wondered. Then, seeing Brock sitting next to a nice-looking, dark-haired girl, she walked over to him to ask him of the whereabouts of Ash and Misty. "Hey Brock. Have you see Ash and Misty around? I saw them together in the living room a short while ago, but now they've disappeared!"

"Hmm…" the black-haired boy sat in thought, "I think I remember seeing them go out the back together. But I'm not sure – there were a lot of guests between me and my view of them."

"Ok, then. Thanks a lot for that, Brock!" she smiled and waved to him, before exiting the house as she went to look for them. After a few minutes of walking, she noticed the slight movements of two shadowy figures who were seated together, close to the bank of the lake. As she moved closer to gain a better view, she saw that it was Ash and Misty, cuddled up together in a tight embrace. Her initial shocked expression soon turned to a pleasant smile, as she stood watching the two.

"Chris…are you watching this, darling?" she murmured reflectively, tears welling up in her eyes as the sight of her son and his lover sitting together brought back old memories of her own past love. Words could not possibly describe how much she wanted her long-lost husband to see what she was seeing now – their son in a state of perfect happiness, with the woman he would surely love and cherish forever. Deciding not to interrupt their private moment, she smiled, and walked back to the house.

* * *

**(Ash's POV)**

As I woke up from our brief nap together on the bank of the lake and looked at my watch, it now read 9:15pm. Our surroundings were now virtually completely dark as I shook Misty gently to wake her, only to find that she would not, instead continuing to sleep as she breathed in and out softly. Smiling, I lifted her body off the ground and carried her by her back and legs, as I started to walk back towards the house.

"…And to think that _you _called _me _a heavy sleeper," I chuckled.

Moments later, I arrived back inside the house, laying Misty on the couch upon entering. Nearly all of the guests had gone except for May, Max, Norman, Caroline, the three Professors, and Erika, who was still dozing on the sofa as Mom eventually shook her awake. Flustered, the grass-type trainer quickly rose from her position as she realized that she had overslept once again, before thanking Mom for the party as she left. I chuckled, before my mouth gaped wide in shock as I beheld a sight which I had never thought could come true: Brock standing outside on the front entrance of the house, with a girl who seemed to be very happy as he held her in his arms. But this was no ordinary girl – she was Sabrina. Then, the two of the embraced for an actual kiss before Sabrina walked away with a very happy look on her face, turning back to wave delicately to Brock before teleporting away. The Pewter City gym leader then walked back inside the house, his face red with delight and pleasure.

"Ohhh…looks like someone's got himself a _girlfriend_!" I teased, nudging him on the arm.

"Huh? You mean…you saw us?" he stammered.

"_Duh_…You're basically in plain view, standing together on the front entrance like that," I said as he blushed redder than before, "What did you guys do tonight for that to happen, anyway?"

"I…uhh…I'd rather not get into that, to be honest," he chuckled, "But she said to me before she left, that she has a young Ralts now that her father caught and brought over to the gym after traveling a bit in the Hoenn region. She says she wants me to take care of him in my Pokémon treatment and breeding center, as he wouldn't have been suited to have battles against the Pokémon of trainers who are looking to win the Marsh Badge, as it is the sixth badge in the Kanto region."

"Well, okay then. It's alright if you don't wanna talk about it, Brock," I smiled cheekily. "Besides…it doesn't take a psychic to know what _you're _thinking," I said, as Brock's face distorted with both frustration and embarrassment.

Minutes later, Misty awoke from her nap as the three Professors, Gary and Tracey said goodbye, Professors Elm and Birch deciding to spend the night at the lab before departing for their respective regions tomorrow. Norman and Caroline then headed towards the door also, before they were stopped by May and Max who looked at them with pleading eyes.

"Oh _please_ mom…can't we stay just for tonight, and then leave tomorrow?" May begged, her hands wrapped up together in a prayer-like stance.

"Come _on_, dad. Just one more day?" Max added.

"Well…" said Caroline, their mother, turning to Norman, "What do you think, dear?"

Both of their heads turned towards their father, who then started to laugh softly.

"Hahaha. I'm not so sure either," he said, looking up to my mom who smiled and gave him a nod of approval, as May and Max's eyes didn't waver away from their father. "Alright then. I guess the two of you could stay here tonight."

"Yay!" they both cheered.

"But honey, where would _we _stay tonight if that's the case?" Caroline asked.

"Oh don't worry about that, Caroline. I'm sure that Professor Oak has some more places available at the lab. I'll go and check!" Mom said, before dashing off to speak with Professor Oak. Seconds later, she returned. "Good news! The Professor said that there's a room with beds available for the two of you as well!"

"Thank you, Delia, dear," Caroline smiled.

"I guess we'll be off then! Take care, you two – and behave yourselves!" Norman smiled at May and Max, as he and Caroline walked out of the house and joined Professor Oak.

"Well, make yourselves comfortable in the guest's room, you two!" Mom said, as May and Max nodded and walked off together upstairs. "Brock, Misty, would you like to go there as well?" Mom asked, after closing the door.

"Thanks a lot, Mrs. Ketchum! Goodnight, everyone!" Brock smiled as he walked after May and Max.

"Misty?" Mom asked as she turned to face her.

"Umm…if it's alright with _you_, Delia…I'd like to stay with Ash…in _his _room," Misty stammered nervously. Mom froze for a brief moment, before smiling again reassuringly.

"That's fine with me, dear. Goodnight now!" she beamed, as the two of us went upstairs together and into my room. We both changed into our nightwear, before realizing that we had done so in the presence of each other, as we both blushed and laughed softly with embarrassment. Pikachu and Marill came into our room a short time later, as they both took up places on the foot of my bed.

"Did you enjoy the party tonight?" I whispered as we lay next to each other, stroking through her hair.

"Yeah…And the view of the lake was wonderful…I never even knew that such a place existed in Pallet Town. It was all so beautiful," she replied.

"Not as beautiful as _you_, honey," I laughed softly, as she grinned before kissing me.

"Goodnight…" she whispered.

"Goodnight, Mist…" I whispered back as we both fell asleep, my mind becoming enveloped in another dream. However, unlike my previous nightmarish visions, the dream I had tonight was one which I truly loved, soothing my soul with its peaceful image.

I was sitting with Misty in a luscious, green meadow under a large oak tree, surrounded by hundreds of beautiful, white flowers which shone brilliantly against the bright sunlight. The wind drifted harmoniously around us, blowing white petals into the air in a stunning display. Misty's long and untied hair waved and fluttered freely against the wind, her face impeccably beautiful as she rested her head on my shoulder. Two little children – a boy and a girl – were running about and playing with each other in the meadow, as they each tried to grab as many of the white petals which flew around them as they could. A short time later, they ran over to us with smiles on their faces, hugging us as they came onto our laps, the boy in mine and the girl in Misty's. The sheer bliss the dream had given me brought a smile to my subconscious lips as I lay asleep. For in my mind, I now had everything I had ever wanted…a life of peace. A life filled with love…_a life with Misty forever by my side._

It was then that I suddenly realized that these two were no '_ordinary'_ children…

They were o_ur_ children.

**(End Chapter 13)**

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**A/N:** That's the end of Chapter 13! I still can't believe that I managed to finish it during the _middle _of the week, instead of on the weekend like I normally do. It's quite shorter than the previous few chapters, as I really needed a breather from doing another monstrously long chapter like Chapter 12, and it's also quite an ordeal to read it, as well.

Yeah, some of you might think a Brock/Sabrina coupling is weird, but after seeing a couple of stories like Virgo Writer's 'Reasons of the Heart' and 'Game Set Match', I decided that the coupling of the two wasn't a bad idea. Sabrina will also play quite a major role in the subsequent books as well, but I don't wanna give away any more spoilers beyond this point. ;)

I decided to introduce the character of Ash's father (name is Chris) in this chapter. Ash's father will be a prominent figure in the next Book, and I'm also going to eventually do another fic on him and Delia and how they meet and travel with each other, etc, after all six books in this saga have been completed.

I changed Brock's 'Pokemon Breeding Center' to 'Pokemon Treatment and Breeding Center', due to the fact that the latest episode of Pokemon released (DP 190, September 2, 2010 in Japan) stated that Brock will be a Pokemon doctor or something.

Once again, please read and review, and also please point out any errors, mistakes or weird bits to me if you see any. And don't forget the fact that you can see how the next chapter is coming along, by checking the bottom of my profile. Thank you!


	14. My Last Night With You

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**My Last Night With You  
**

**(The next morning)**

As we came down the stairs into the kitchen, we were greeted by the smiling faces of May, Max, Brock and Mom, who had already started on breakfast minutes ago. The two of us poured our own bowls of cereal and milk, before joining them at the table as we took a piece of toast each as well.

"How are you feeling this morning, you two?" Mom asked with a bright voice.

"_Great_, Mom! The party was really awesome last night!" I replied.

"That's wonderful, dear! I'm glad that all of you enjoyed yourselves," she responded, as Max tuned his head to speak to me.

"Hey Ash, I was just wondering…what'll you do _now, _after becoming the Champion? Don't you have to like…stay in the Indigo Plateau while you hold that rank? Because _that's _what I've heard," he asked.

"Yeah," I answered, "I have to go back there by the end of next week, Max. After that, whether I'll be able to come and go from the Indigo Plateau, I won't know…although I've got a feeling that I won't be moving from there for quite a long while…"

After a brief moment of silence, Mom held her hand over the breakfast table, placing it gently over mine which held my breakfast spoon.

"I know that becoming the Champion was your greatest dream ever since you started out on your journeys, honey. But _think_ about what'll happen if you decide to take up this position…" she said worriedly.

"What about…Misty?" May asked, almost as if she knew exactly what was on Mom's mind as she spoke. My mind suddenly became clouded with sadness once again, as I thought of that painful day when I would eventually have to leave her.

"Don't worry," Misty smiled, breaking my thoughts, "Ash and I have already talked this over while we were coming to Pallet Town. We decided that we would continue to contact each other regularly over the video phone, so it won't be too much of a problem."

They all looked down at their meals again, a relatively blank expression on Max's face, whereas May and Mom's expressions were slightly glum. Deciding to lighten up the mood by changing the topic of discussion, I turned my head to Brock, whose face immediately went red as he suspected what I was going to ask him about.

"So, Brock, have you told Misty about *it*, yet?" I smiled.

"I…uh…" he stammered, putting down his spoon as he moved his right hand against the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Huh? What happened, guys?" Misty asked.

"This was while you were asleep on the couch, after I had carried you back from the lake, Mist," I explained.

"Oh…what happened, Brock?" she grinned at him.

"Oh, fine…Sabrina's kinda…my girlfriend now," he admitted, as Misty's face slightly stiffened with shock, before she smiled again as she gave him even more attention, "We got on really well with each other last night, and she kissed me before she left. She wants me to take care of a young Ralts she got from her dad, in my treatment and breeding center."

"Wow…well, I guess congratulations are in order?" she smirked, causing him to blush even more as we all laughed gently.

* * *

An hour later, Norman and Caroline came by with Professor Birch, to collect May and Max as all the preparations were made for them to return to their home in Hoenn. Professor Elm was also with them, as he was soon due to return to New Bark Town in Johto. After saying our goodbyes, Misty, Brock and I each shook Max's hand and hugged May; Misty being the most affectionate as she hugged her more tightly than me and Brock. Then, both the Maples and Professor Elm headed to the sea port of Pallet Town which was built a few years ago, to take boats which would return them to their respective regions. Brock then surprised us, as he went to the living room and returned to the door with his fully-packed bag.

"Hey Brock, I didn't know that _you _were going as well!" I commented.

"Yeah. Sorry for not telling you earlier – it must've slipped my mind. But I've gotta go and take care of the gym and my brothers and sisters, now. Anyway, I hope you have a nice stay here for the next few days, Misty!" he said, swinging his bag straps and inserting his arms into them.

"Thanks, Brock. I'll see you another time!" she smiled, as the two of them hugged.

"Well, I guess I'll be off! See ya', guys! Thanks for everything while I was here, Mrs. Ketchum!" Brock said as he started to leave.

"Uhh…Ash?" Misty elbowed me softly on the side, while eying Charizard who was standing around meters away from the house with his young son, "Shouldn't you…you know…"

"Oh yeah…I probably should, shouldn't I?" I laughed, rubbing my head before calling out to Brock again. "Hey Brock, why don't you go on Charizard to Pewter?" I called out to him.

"Huh? Oh no, Ash – there's no need for that! I'm perfectly fine!" he insisted, waving his arms in front of him.

"Come on, Brock. Don't be so stubborn. You never know if you'll run into some more Beedrill in Viridian Forest again. And Fearow's flock may not be around to help you, then," I persuaded. After a few seconds of thought, Brock decided it was for the best, as he nodded.

"Alright, Ash. I agree with you on that one."

"Hey Charizard! Can you come here for a minute?" I called out to the dragon, who soon walked over to us with his son by his side. "Could you take Brock back to Pewter City and come back? There's no knowing what'll happen in Viridian Forest."

Charizard showed slight emotions of frustration, small amounts of smoke fuming from his nostrils as he sighed. He peered down to his son who looked at him, obviously wanting to spend more time with the young Charmander.

"Groaar…Char, wrooar, char…" he grunted. _("Urgh…why can't you get Pidgeot or Staraptor or something?")_

"_Come on_, Charizard – we'll take care of Charmander while you're gone. He can hang around with Pikachu and Marill while you're away! And you _know _I can't call the two of them to come over right now from Professor Oak's lab!" I said. The little Charmander then smiled as he gave his father a nod of assurance, before scampering to Pikachu's side.

"Pi-kachu!" Pikachu smiled as he laid a paw on Charmander's back.

"Char, char!" he smiled.

After a few more seconds of deliberation, Charizard then smirked, giving us a thumbs-up as he flew over to Brock and laid low, indicating for him to get on his back. Brock ascended Charizard's back; the dragon seeming to be hardly affected by his weight.

"Thanks, Ash! I'll see you guys another time!" Brock called out, waving as Charizard took to the air with him.

"Bye, Brock!" me and Misty shouted back, one after the other.

"Take care now!" Mom responded as we all waved at him.

"Pika-chu, pika!" Pikachu cried as he waved his tiny arms in the air.

After Brock and Charizard disappeared from view, Misty turned to speak to me. "Well, it looks like it's just gonna be the three of us for a while," she smiled.

"You know what…I think Sabrina's gonna be waiting for him there when he arrives!" I grinned.

"Huh? …oh yeah…she _is _a psychic, after all," she laughed, as we all went back into the house. Charizard returned hours later, confirming cheerfully that Brock had been returned to Pewter City safe and sound, with no troubles. Then, a grin on his face before he returned with Charmander to Professor Oak's lab also confirmed something else, which brought a cheeky smile to both me and Misty's faces – Brock and Sabrina were getting on _just perfectly together._

_

* * *

_

**(A few days later)**

After spending just under a week in Pallet Town, Misty decided that it was now time for her to return to the Cerulean Gym. With our bag packed again, the two of us stood by the door with our Pokéballs attached to our belts, facing Mom and Mr. Mime as we prepared to leave.

"It's very sad to see you go, Misty, dear. But I know that it's your responsibility as a gym leader, to return," Mom said as she smiled at Misty.

"I can _never_ trust my sisters to take care of the place while I'm gone. For all I know, they just might be _giving away _gym badges as we speak!" Misty chuckled, as the two of them moved together for a hug. "Thanks for taking such good care of me while I was here, Delia."

After breaking their hug, Mom turned her head to speak to me. "How _nice_ of you to accompany her again, honey! It's not _safe_ for a lady to go through Viridian Forest without anyone by her side! And _believe me_ when I say that I've had my _own_ experiences," she said.

"Hahaha. Don't mention it, Mom," I laughed, "To tell you the truth, I was gonna get Pidgeot and Staraptor to fly us to Pewter City, from where we'll stop by to visit Brock before taking the train to Cerulean."

"Why's that, Ash? " Misty asked.

"Because I wanna spend more time with you before I have to go, Mist. And besides…you said you were worrying about your sisters just _giving away_ the Cascade Badge, right?" I grinned.

"…that's true…" she said. I then moved towards Mom as we hugged each other.

"Ash, honey, before you go…there's something I'd like to talk to you about," she said as we drew apart.

"Don't worry, Mom – I'm changing them every day!" I chuckled, having a guess at what would most likely have been on her mind.

"It's not _that_, dear…it's something else…much more important than that," she replied, her tone suddenly changing into one that was grave and sad. "Misty dear, could you possibly let the two of us speak privately for a moment? It's a…_family matter _of ours," Mom said.

"Oh…OK, Delia. I'll be waiting outside with Pikachu and Marill, then," Misty responded, glancing at me over her shoulder with concern, before closing the front door behind her. Through the windows next to the door, I could see her as she sat with the two of them on the front steps. Then, I turned my attention back to Mom, who stood looking at me with sad eyes.

"What is it, Mom? What do you have to tell me?" I said.

"Before you go, I think it's time I told you the truth," she replied, looking down tearfully before she raised her head to meet my eyes, "…about your father. What _really _happened to him, and why he was never with us for all this time. I always told you since you were young, that your father was on a journey of his own. But now…now that you're old enough, I must tell you _now_, or else you may never hear it."

My eyes widened as I dropped the bag onto the floor, as Mom started to explain everything to me about the dad whom I never knew.

* * *

**(Misty's POV)**

"What could they be talking about? It's already been ten minutes!" I mumbled, as Pikachu and Marill looked at me from either side of my knees.

"Pikapi…" the yellow mouse sighed.

I looked around to see Ash and Delia still talking to each other, through the window. Then, Ash's head suddenly hung down against his chest, as Delia walked over to him and embraced him in another hug.

"Wow…it sure must be something important," I murmured, my mind beginning to race as I wondered what it could be that they were talking about. But the sight of seeing Ash in a melancholy state suddenly caused a rush of sadness in me as well, as I recalled old memories of my deceased parents. "Could they be talking about... Ash's dad?"

* * *

**(Ash's POV)**

Hearing the truth of my father's disappearance disturbed me greatly, as I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Mom hugged me tightly so as to console me, but nothing could provide me with true comfort at the moment, as a rush of emotions seemed to envelop me.

"Ash, honey…do you truly love Misty?" she asked me, tears in her eyes as well.

"Yes, mom…with all my heart," I whispered.

"If you do, then promise me this – never let her experience the grief that I had gone through, when I realized that your father was not going to come back to me. She is the one person in this entire world who loves you the way that she does. Promise me, that you'll always make her feel loved, and never alone…you'll do that for me, won't you?" she cried, doing her best to put up a smile.

"I will, mom…I promise," I said to her. She kissed me on the cheek as we hugged again for what would've been our last hug in a very long time to come. "Bye, mom," I said as I opened the door to join Misty.

"Bye, sweetie…good luck…" Mom replied as she came up to the door. Misty turned her head to look at me before I helped her up to her feet, and we started to walk away from the house. After walking several feet away from the house, I looked back towards Mom, who was still standing at the door smiling at the two of us. Then, she walked back into the house, closing the door behind her.

"Are you…alright, Ash?" Misty said with concern, placing her hand gently on my arm as I looked down at the ground with a grim expression on my face.

Overwhelmed by what my Mom had just told me, I couldn't reply to her question verbally. Instead, I placed my hand on hers which lay on my arm, telling her through body language that I was going to be fine.

"OK, Ash. Don't worry…I won't ask you about it right now," she said gently, as we continued to walk hand-in-hand, Pikachu and Marill strolling together in front of us.

'_Thank you, Mist…Thank you for understanding me,' _I thought. I then called Staraptor and Pidgeot out from their Pokéballs. Pidgeot's newest Pokéball was adorned with a gold and black pattern; a custom Pokéball given to me by Professor Oak. Applying the strap of our bag over my back, I got on Pidgeot with Pikachu, while Misty rode on Staraptor holding Marill in her arms. The two flying Pokémon began their ascent, as we sailed through the air towards Pewter City.

* * *

**(Some time later)**

Arriving at Pewter City , we decided to pay Brock a little visit at the gym, before continuing on to Cerulean City. Walking up to the door after recalling Pidgeot and Staraptor into their Pokéballs, I rang the doorbell. After a few seconds of waiting, Brock opened the door. As we guessed, he was helping his parents to take care of the household and his siblings. "Hey, Brock!" we both greeted.

"Hey guys, it's great to have you around this place again!" he smiled, "Come in!"

We followed him into the living room, as Pikachu and Marill ran off to hang around with Ludicolo who was walking around the corridor with a jolly look on his face. What surprised us was that in the living room, we found Sabrina who also happened to be stopping by, smiling as she sat on the floor with the two young twins, Billy and Tilly in her lap.

"Hey, Sabrina!" Misty greeted, stuttering due to shock.

"Hi Misty! It's been a long time! How are you?" Sabrina said, a radiant smile on her lips.

"Good! I've heard that you and Brock are now a couple! Congratulations!" Misty beamed, walking over to Sabrina and crouching down to give her a hug, before looking at the two twins who were with her. "Wow Sabrina – I didn't know that you were so good with kids! I can tell that you're gonna be a great mother, someday!" she remarked.

"Hehehe…thanks, Misty," Sabrina laughed softly with embarrassment.

"Where are your parents, Brock?" I asked him.

"They're in the arena area taking care of Steelix. Why don't you guys stay here while I go get them? We'll have some morning tea together," he replied.

"That sounds great, Brock!" Misty smiled as Brock left the room. He returned moments later with his parents, and we all had tea together. Meanwhile, the other children – all much older now than the last time I saw them – played in the adjacent room under the supervision of Forrest, the second-eldest of the Slate family's children after Brock. Both of Brock's parents seemed to be very happy that Brock had finally got a girlfriend after so many years, as Sabrina placed a hand over her cheek in an attempt to hide her blushes which were redder than a rose petal.

* * *

After an hour together, Misty and I bid farewell to Sabrina, Brock, and his parents and siblings, as we left for Pewter Station. The station seemed significantly empty compared to when we came the week before when it was bustling with life, as merely a few dozen other people waited to board the train to Cerulean City. Once the train arrived, we moved towards seats which were situated next to a window; Pikachu and Marill hopping up onto our laps again to indulge the view.

"I can't believe it, Ash…" Misty said, with disappointment in her voice.

"What is it, Mist?" I asked, placing my hand over hers.

"It's already been a full week since you came back to me…one more and you'll be…" she murmured, tears suddenly dropping from her eyes as I immediately hugged her.

"There, there, Mist…don't worry…everything will be fine! It could even be as I said it would – I may not even stay in my post for that long, depending on the challengers who come to the Indigo Plateau," I insisted, trying to comfort her.

"Pikachupi…" Pikachu sighed, a teardrop glistening on his eye as well.

"I've just been so alone for these past few years in the gym…I wanted you, Ash…I _needed you…_And when you came back to me, it was the happiest day of my life! But now…it feels as if everything that I've ever loved in my entire life is about to leave me, and there's nothing I can do about it!" she cried.

There couldn't possibly ever be anything I could say now, that would comfort her. I rested my chin against her head, our tears conjoining together as water drops fell from my eyes and onto her cheeks.

* * *

**(Back at the Cerulean Gym)**

"Hey sis, am I glad to see _you_! And I see that you've brought him along with you again! How cute!" Daisy cried, waving from the door as she saw us approaching. Misty did her best to utter a smile while her eyes were closed, which could only mean one thing – inside, she was fuming.

"Well, we're back! How was the gym while we were gone?" I smiled as we entered.

"Well, first of all, we got some repairmen to fix up that hole in the ceiling of the pool area that those three losers caused when they were sent flying through the air by Golduck," she said, looking skywards as she tapped her bottom lip with her forefinger, "After that, I had a couple of trainer battles this week, and I actually did alright!"

"That's great, sis! How did they go?" Misty beamed.

"It was quite amazing! I didn't lose a single battle this week! Although…there was _one _badge that I just happened to give away, to be honest with you," Daisy replied, causing Misty's eyes to jolt in frustration.

"_I __**told **__you to not just give away the badges, Daisy! Don't you remember?_" she barked.

"Like…yeah, sis, but hear me out on this one! There was this one guy trainer from the Johto region with this awesome, super-powered Electabuzz with him. He was so tough, that I was forced to bring out Gyarados, who only barely managed to beat him by surprising him with a Protect when he came in for a Thunderpunch, before knocking him out with a Hyper Beam from close range! I thought that he fully deserved the badge for his efforts after the battle, and he looked so disappointed that he lost, even though his Pokémon gave it their all…so I gave him the Cascade Badge, which cheered him right up!"

"Well, I guess that's understandable, then," Misty replied in a smooth tone which was completely different that her previous one, "Our gym is one of the most difficult in Kanto now, after all, with Gyarados here."

Daisy paused and smiled for a moment, before speaking to Misty again. "Okay then, get some rest you two – you look awfully tired after that train ride! I'm just gonna be out shopping for groceries downtown. Call me if anything comes up!" she said as she left.

"Bye, Daisy!" we both called out, before closing the door.

"Do you wanna lie down for awhile, Mist? You've been looking awfully fragile for the last few hours…" I said, squeezing her hand with concern.

"Why don't we go out the back, towards the lake? I wanna sit with you by the bank of the water again," she replied.

"Okay, Mist. We'll go there now," I said as we walked together with Pikachu and Marill, out the back door and towards the lakeside where we sat next to each other, oblivious to everything…save for the time that we had left together.

* * *

**(The final night)**

The waning crescent moon shined bleakly upon us as we stood together on the balcony of the gym, dancing to the sound of soft, soothing music which came from the nearby stereo. The cool night air seemed to go right through us, as nothing else seemed to matter to us at the moment, besides being with each other.

"I wish…I wish that time would just stop right now…just for the two of us," Misty whispered as we danced slowly.

"Me too, Mist…me too…" I sighed as the music intensified, before dying down again into a soothing melody.

#

_Whenever sang my songs__,__  
On the stage, on my own__.__  
Whenever said my words__,__  
Wishing they would be heard__.__  
I saw you smiling at me__,__  
Was it real or just my fantasy__?__  
You'd always be there in the corner__,__  
Of this tiny little bar__…_

_#  
_

We continued to dance, as Misty rested her head against my chest. Pikachu and Marill stood together by the open door, tears in their eyes as they also knew that our time together would soon come to an end.

_#_

_My last night here for you__,__  
Same old songs, just once more__.__  
My last night here with you?  
Maybe yes, maybe no__.__  
I kind of liked it your way__,__  
How you shyly placed your eyes on me__.__  
Oh, did you ever know?  
That I had mine on you__.__  
__#_

Our eyes then met, Misty's eyes starting to well up with tears as she looked at me. Although my lips tried their best to give her a smile, my eyes could see into her soul, as I soon began to shed more tears.

_#__  
*Darling, so there you are__,__  
With that look on your face__.__  
As if you're never hurt__.__  
As if you're never down__.__  
Shall I be the one for you__,__  
Who pinches you softly but sure__?__  
If frown is shown then__,__  
I will know that you are no dreamer__.__  
_

#

Memories of the day we first met suddenly flooded my mind. I cried as I remembered how I fell in love with her at first sight; although I couldn't realize it back then due to my naivety when it came to love. My thoughts were then cut off as I felt Misty's tears falling onto my neck, her arms holding me as a great sorrow formed in her eyes.

_#__  
So let me come to you__,__  
Close as I wan__t to__ be__.__  
Close enough for me__,__  
To feel your heart beating fast__.__  
And stay there as I whisper__,__  
How I love__d__ your peaceful eyes on me__.__  
Did you ever know__?__  
That I had mine on you__._

_#_

_Darling, so share with me__,__  
Your love if you have enough__.__  
You__r__ tears if you're holding back__,__  
Or pain if that's what it is__.__  
How can I let you know__,__  
I'm more than the dress and the voice__.__  
Just reach me out then__,__  
You will know that you're not dreaming__._

_#  
_

We stopped dancing; instead holding each other harder than we ever had done before, as the thought of losing each other tore through our hearts. Our tears were now unrestrained, falling down our cheeks and onto the floor of the balcony below, as we embraced for a passionate kiss.

_#_

_Darling, so there you are__,_

_With that look on your face__._

_As if you're never hurt__,_

_As if you're never down__._

_Shall I be the one for you__?_

_Who pinches you softly__,__ but sure__._

_If frown is shown then__,_

_I will know__ that you are no dreamer__..._

_###_

**('**_**Eyes on Me' - **_**Faye Wong)**

**(from Final Fantasy VIII)**

###**  
**

As the song concluded, we broke contact with each other, while still looking deeply into each other's eyes. Walking back towards the room, I pulled out a small case from my pocket. "Mist, I've got something for you…" I said as I presented it to her. Speechless, she inched her right hand towards it, picking it up in a fragile manner before pulling off the small ribbon which was laced around it. Once the case was opened, her mouth gaped open in shock, as she beheld the sight of a glimmering, silver ring.

"Ash…it's beautiful…thank you so much," she said, hugging me gently by the shoulders.

"It's just something that I hoped that you'd remember me by," I replied, stroking her cheek, "Just like the handkerchief and lure you gave me so that I would remember you, all those years ago."

Misty then looked into my eyes yet again, drawing her face closer to me until we could feel our breaths on one another. The moonlight shone into her eyes, making them shimmer with a most beautiful light as she whispered to me.

"Ash…do you love me?"

"Of course I do, Mist," I answered, grasping her hand.

"After you've gone back tomorrow…I probably won't see you again in person for a very long time…Will you love me, Ash? Will you promise to never forget about me?" she wept.

"No, Mist…" I said, shaking my head as her eyes widened, "I'll love you for much longer than that… I'll love you for eternity."

**(End chapter 14)**

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** That's Chapter 14. I'm really sorry if it may seem significantly rushed or caused disappointment, with the full two weeks flying by within one chapter – I couldn't really think of any way that would've made the time flow with a more natural feel, plus I've tried to get this chapter finished all on one weekend. But I thought that continuing to write on about what went on during the final week seemed a bit redundant, as they would've done the usual things every day while they were in Cerulean. So basically it's being kept relatively short and concise, for now. However, I'll probably end up adding detail to a lot of the sections in this chapter (chiefly some conversation in the section where the Maples and Professors Elm and Birch leave, as well as the part where Misty and Ash talk with Brock, Sabrina and Brock's parents), once I get the time to do so, and in that case, it's likely that this chapter will also balloon up in size, like Chapter 12… _ . If you have any suggestions as to what else could've been added into this chapter, I'd be glad to have a look, and put it in if I think that it'll help the chapter flow better .

The details of the conversation between Ash and his Mom about his Dad will all be revealed in the next Book, as I want it to still remain a mystery at this point in time.

This story is almost finished! Just a little more to go! :)

Again, please leave your reviews!


	15. Farewell, My Love

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Farewell, My Love  
**

**(The Next Morning)**

A great sigh forced itself out of my lungs, as I glumly walked out the door of the Cerulean Gym, to return to the Indigo Plateau. Turning around, I saw Daisy, Lily and Violet standing behind Misty. Her eyes were awash with tears, as she clutched onto the silver ring I gave her last night with a closed fist, her hand trembling with sadness and fear. Seeing her tears of sorrow broke my heart, as I dropped my bag and rushed over to her, holding her tightly as she wept.

"Ash…I don't want you to go…" she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Shh…it'll be alright, Mist. Remember – we can still talk to each other through the video phone, can't we? I'll call you every day. I promise," I said, rubbing the back of her head to comfort her. A delicate strawberry scent emanated from her hair, making me love her all the more, and feel crushed that I had to leave her.

"I know…I know…" she cried, placing her hand on my cheek as she drew her face upwards to look at mine. I then did the same, placing my hand upon her rosy cheeks while looking into her eyes, which shined beautifully like two mirrors of pure crystal.

"Misty…" I sighed, breathing so weakly as if I were no longer alive.

"Ash…" she whispered, drawing me closer to her, "…kiss me."

I immediately granted her wish, placing my lips against hers. Overcome with emotion, we began to kiss one another as if nothing else mattered, our heated breaths fuming onto one another as all three of Misty's sisters watched on in awe. Then, after breaking apart from the kiss which both of us would surely cherish forever, I reached out to my belt and released Pidgeot from his Pokéball.

"Goodbye, Mist," I mouthed to her after mounting Pidgeot, the words barely coming out of my mouth and reaching her. Daisy, Violet and Lily stood speechless behind Misty by the door, holding their hands up to their mouths as they couldn't help but shed some tears of their own.

"Goodbye, Ash…I love you…" Misty replied sullenly, as Pidgeot flapped his wings and ascended into the sky.

* * *

**(Misty's POV)**

A rush of sadness overwhelmed me, as I watched him flying away into the horizon. How long it would be before I could hold him, to kiss him once more, I did not know. Dejected, I slowly walked back inside the gym, closing the door behind me as my sisters looked at me in concern.

"Misty…"

"Sis…"

"Are you gonna be alright?"

"Yeah," I answered in a voice that was little more than a whisper, "…I'll be fine…"

I walked upstairs, creating not a sound as I made my steps soft and delicate, while holding the side rail for support. After entering my room, I closed the door, before falling to my knees in front of my bed, sobbing into my arms which I laid over one another on top of the mattress. Memories of our journeys together soon came into my mind once more, giving me slight comfort at the thought of all the good times we shared. But my joyful smile was soon wiped from my lips as I came back into reality.

He was gone now, and there was nothing I could do about it…

**###**

_Goodbye__,__  
Funny how that's such a hard thing to say.  
Now it's time to let go but,  
Never thought I'd feel this way._

_Promised not to be sad but,  
We both knew I was lyin'.  
Gotta fight back the tears 'cause,  
Can't let you see me cryin'._

_You're more than just my best friend.  
What makes me misty most of all,  
In our final curtain call,  
Is knowing that I won't see you__…_

_A__gain…_

_**###**_

**(Pokemon – "Misty's Goodbye")**

**

* * *

**

**(Ash's POV)**

The wind breezed against my hair and jacket as Pidgeot soared swiftly through the air, high above the rocky slopes of Mt. Moon. I had never stopped regretting the fact that I had left her, but continued to convince myself that it was for my life-long dream, which she herself said that she hoped that I would achieve and retain. But yet, a guilty conscience lingered within my mind, as several voices from conversations and dreams gone past started to ring in my ears.

"_You should've learned by now that your friends are more important than your titles, Ash Ketchum!"_ Lily's voice echoed in my mind, as I recalled the nightmare I had during my night at the Indigo Plateau.

"_Promise me, that you'll always make her feel loved, and never alone…you'll do that for me, won't you?"_ Mom's soothing words from the week before sounded, as Misty's words and face came into my thoughts.

"_Thanks for always being a good friend to me…"_

"_Goodbye, Ash…I love you…"_

"_Will I…see you again?"_

"…_I've made sacrifices in my life for __**you**__, Ash…Remember that…"_

As soon as Misty's voice ceased to echo in my head, my mind flashed back to the vision in my past nightmare, where she lay deceased upon a white bed in a mausoleum, surrounded by a flurry of white rose petals. Hit with a stabbing sense of fear, my ambitions of being the Champion vanished altogether, as I realized that what I truly wanted is not the glory of his title, but _her_. I _needed_ her, just as much as she needed _me, _if not more. I could lose my title, my badges and all of the prizes which I had accumulated over the years, but I would never forgive myself if I lost _her _from my life_. _

"Pidgeot…we need to go back," I said to the great bird as he continued to fly.

"…geot?" he cooed, dropping his pace due to distraction.

"We're going back…back to Misty," I repeated.

"Pidgeot…" he uttered softly, confused by my sudden change of heart.

"Just do it…for me…"

**(End chapter 15)**

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**A/N:** Yeah. This chapter's significantly shorter than the others, as it is mainly focused on flashbacks and the like, and the emotions which Ash and Misty both face at the present. Sorry if you were expecting or hoping for something that was longer quite than this. I'll probably end up finishing this story within this week now (way ahead of the original schedule! ), so stay tuned.

Again, please leave your reviews!


	16. The Final Choice

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

**A/N:** While this is not my first fic (I actually intended Book II to be the starting story, and for this 'prequel' to be released after it had been finished), it was created so that their would be a back-story behind the main events which follow in Book II. This fic follows the rekindled relationship of Ash and Misty, after Ash's journeys in the Sinnoh region have been completed. **This fic assumes that instead of going on to the new region of Isshu, Ash returns permanently to the Kanto region.**

This is the first 'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

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**Chapter 16**

**The Final Choice**

**(Misty's POV)**

_He's not coming back…He won't…_

More than half an hour had gone by, and yet I remained unmoving before my bed. My knees ached with pain, the circulation of blood in my legs all but numb, and my heart feeling as if it was slowly dying but continuing to beat on, as nothing seemed to matter to me now. The rays of sunlight which shone onto my back felt nothing like the warm, heartening thing it should be, but merely a cold, uncomfortable presence which only reminded me that my days of living without him had just begun.

"Ash…I miss you…" I cried, dampening the sheets of my bed with tears. "_I need you still_…"

I continued to cry for minutes on end until suddenly, the presence of light in my room left altogether, replaced by a shadowy eclipse that loomed over me. Everything around me turned to darkness, causing me to shudder with fear. Cautiously and slowly, I looked around to behold the silhouette-like figure of a great beast that spread its wings wide, backing myself against my bed as I sat completely defenseless and at its mercy. Then, a man descended from its back and climbed through the window before crouching down in front of me, his face unidentifiable due to the utter absence of light. Just as I looked away with fear, the great beast moved away from the window, enabling the sunlight to shine through once more. Glancing sideways, my hand dropped onto the floor in shock as I looked forward, not knowing whether I was more surprised or happy to see the person who sat before me.

Dark waves of raven-black hair…a pair of innocent, chocolate-brown eyes…

It was Ash.

"Mist…" he whispered.

"A…Ash?" I whimpered, moving slowly towards him.

"Mist…!" he cried, wrapping his arms around me as I did the same to him. Pikachu then hopped into the room from on top of Pidgeot, as he watched the two of us share our tears.

"Why? Why did you come back?" I asked, tears rolling down my face.

"…I've changed my mind, Mist," he said. My eyes widened with disbelief, before my lips formed a small smile to show my happiness. "I love you, and I want to be by your side, always."

"But…your _title_, Ash…if you don't go back now, you'll lose it forever!" I cried.

He shook his head, smiling as he did so. "I don't want it anymore. I don't want something that'll do nothing but tear me apart inside, from not being with you. I can tolerate losing battles, prizes or even the most prestigious of titles...but not you."

My heart became overjoyed as I hugged and kissed him again, this time with much more passion.

"I love you, Ash Ketchum…"

"I love you too, Misty Waterflower…"

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**(Ash's POV)**

"You may now kiss the bride!" came a voice from the door, as we both looked up to see who it was. We then saw Daisy smiling at us, with Violet and Lily behind her.

"Since when were you three standing there?" Misty suddenly roared with a change in emotion, her face now red with frustration.

"Hey, chill out, sis!" said Violet, "We saw him flying over here on his Pidgeot, from the window in the other room! When we saw him coming, we just _knew_ that he changed his mind, and was coming back for you!"

"Hi again. Sorry for not coming through the front door, like a normal person would," I chuckled, holding the back of my head.

"_Yeah right_…since when were _you _ever a 'normal person', Ashy-boy?" Misty teased, gently pulling the side of my cheek. I grimaced and crossed my arms, not being happy of being reminded of Gary at such a time, while a stubborn teardrop seeped out of my eye as a result of the pain I was experiencing in my cheek.

"Well, we're all so very happy for you two!" Lily smiled, "Hey I know…why don't we go shopping and buy a cake to celebrate tonight?"

My ear immediately tweaked at the mere sound of cake as I turned my head towards Daisy, smiling at her. "Cake? What kind of cake?" I asked.

My thoughts were soon shattered however, as a familiar wooden object came pummeling down onto my head, causing me to collapse face-first onto the ground.

"_Now_ look what you've done, Lily…I don't wanna see the sight of him making a _pig_ of himself. And cake's possibly one of the _worst _things you could bring up to trigger his appetite!" Misty growled as she held her mallet above my bruised head.

The three sisters giggled amongst themselves, before Daisy spoke again. "Okay then, have a nice time, you two! We'll be back by night-time with the…you-know-what!"

And with that, they walked down the corridor and descended the stairs, leaving the gym as they closed the door softly behind them.

"Oh yeah…I almost forgot…" I said.

"What is it, Ash?" Misty asked.

"I should give the Indigo Plateau a call – to tell them I won't be taking up the role as Champion. This won't take long, Mist," I said. Misty nodded, as I walked out of her room and took out the phone in my PokéGear, dialling the number for the reception counter of the Indigo Plateau. After a few seconds of hearing the dial tone, Claire picked up, as I recognized her voice right away.

"This is the Indigo Plateau reception desk. How may I help you?" she responded.

"Hi, Claire. It's me, Ash," I said.

"Oh, Ash! It's so good to hear from you again! The deadline for your return is almost up! Are you going to be coming back, soon?" she asked.

"Actually, Claire, I…" I paused, "…I won't be coming back…"

After a few seconds of silence, Claire spoke again. "But why, Ash? Is there something wrong?"

"To tell you the truth, Claire…I'm in love with Misty, and I just can't find it in my heart to leave her. Therefore, I won't be coming back to take up the title of Champion. Please understand…"

Following another interval of silence, Claire responded with a calm, soothing tone. "Don't worry, Ash…I know exactly what you're feeling right now."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"I…I was…_engaged_, once…" she said, causing my eyes and mouth to widen with surprise, "I fell in love with a boy I first met when I was very young – around the age of ten. Ever since we met, he always took care of me…_especially_ when I was hurt or needed comfort. After about four years of being friends, he confessed his love for me, and we had been a couple ever since that day. Then, two years ago, he proposed to me, and I accepted. It was the happiest moment of my life, and the tears just wouldn't stop as I saw him on his knee, offering the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. But luck would not be on our side – one day, when he was on his way to visit me as he did every week, he was involved in a terrible car accident, where he was killed instantly as his car was hit by an oncoming truck, rolling uncontrollably down the side of a hill and into a lake. They salvaged the car from the bottom of the lake, but never managed to recover his body. Ever since that day, not one day has gone when I don't think about him…and miss him…"

"Claire…I…I'm sorry…" I murmured in vain, knowing that my words would never comfort her.

"Don't worry, Ash...After all, he still lives on with me, in my heart. And I know that I'll see him again…someday…" she said, as I could hear her voice trying to hold back light sobs.

"Claire…"

"Never mind that, now. I'm _happy _for you, Ash. And believe me when I say that I would do exactly what you're doing right now, if I were in _your_ position. Anyway, I'll tell Lance about your decision, and…I wish you all the best!"

"Thanks, Claire…I'll never forget about you, and what you did for me while I was in the Indigo Plateau… Goodbye," I smiled.

"Goodbye, Ash…" she replied, as we both hung up. I then returned to Misty with a smile on my face, as she looked up at me from her bed.

"Well, Ash? How did it go?" she asked smiling. Saying not a word, I responded only by lifting her off the bed; Misty being temporarily dazed as I held her aloft in my arms and kissed her lovingly on the lips. "…I'll assume from that, that you're off the hook," she grinned, as I kissed her again.

Then, another memory came into my head as we broke apart, this time of Rudy, the Trovita Island gym leader.

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**(Start Flashback)**

A radiant sunset surrounded us in the sky, as we prepared to leave Trovita Island. Rudy stood in front of us as he spoke to Misty, his face showing disappointment at the fact that she was leaving, but also optimism as he wished her all the best in the future.

"Misty…I know you've already made your decision, but these are for you," Rudy said, as he held a beautiful bouquet of flowers in front of him.

"I…" Misty stammered, before gently closing her eyes and accepting Rudy's gift, "Thanks, Rudy…"

"I hope ya know - you're a _very _lucky guy, Ash," Rudy smirked towards me.

"Lucky? What do you mean?" I asked, baffled back then as to what he was implying.

"Hehehe…you'll see some day…" he chuckled, closing his eyes as he turned his head to the side.

**(End Flashback)**

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I exhaled softly onto Misty's neck, smiling as we both relaxed in each other's embrace on the bed. I looked up at the ceiling, smiling as Misty held me with her arms and rested her head upon my chest, as I thought to myself.

"_Rudy…I think __**that**__ day has finally arrived, at long last…"_

**(End Chapter 16)**

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**A/N: **Almost done! Just the Epilogue chapter to go! This has taken just a day to write, thanks to the fact that I made the plan document for the entire story, ages ago.

Please leave your reviews! :)


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**(Two years later)**

Bright rays of morning sunshine beamed down upon us, as walked hand in hand along the very pond where we first met, more than ten years ago. The water was still and quiet, creating a peaceful atmosphere which perfectly suited the reason why I had brought her out here – to propose to her. Truth be told, we had only been a couple for two years; today marking the second anniversary of our relationship. Most couples would have in fact thought of the decision to become engaged after a union of just over two years, as a truly absurd idea. But for me, two years with her was all it took to convince me that she was the only one in the world with whom I could truly spend the rest of my life with, with no regrets.

"Hey Ash… isn't this the same spot we first met when I fished you and Pikachu out of the water?" Misty commented.

I chuckled, still remembering the events of that day as clearly as I saw the pond in front of us. "Yeah, Mist. This is it."

"But…why did you bring me out here again?" she asked.

"I dunno…maybe I wanted for us to remember how we first met, I guess," I replied.

A brief silence followed while we continued to stroll leisurely along the banks of the pond, before I spoke to her again.

"Hey Mist. When we first met…what did you feel?"

"I told you _before_, didn't I? I fell in love with you, the moment our eyes met!" she laughed, slapping me softly on the arm in a joking manner. "What about you, Ash?" she asked.

"Well, I dunno _exactly_…but I _do _remember the stinging feeling on my left cheek after a certain angry redhead slapped me that day." I replied chuckling merrily, as Misty closed her eyes tightly and forced a smile with her lips, although it was obvious that she was silently erupting inside.

"You're _welcome_," she scoffed, "After all, you _did _take my bike without my permission."

We both chuckled with each other before I let out a heavy sigh, preparing myself to let out the inevitable. I ceased walking, Misty stopping along with me as she felt my hand pull lightly on hers. A surprised and concerned expression was on her face, as I squeezed her hand more meaningfully than before.

"The truth is, Mist…I brought you out here, because it's one of the most special places to us. I also brought you out here, as I have a very important question to ask you…and I hope that the answer is yes…" I said.

Misty said not a word, her eyes widening as she brought her hand to her mouth, guessing at what was to follow next. I then knelt down on one knee before her, reaching into my pocket to reveal a black case. Tears flowed down her face as I opened it, revealing a beautiful ring encrusted with shining diamonds, before finally posing her the question she had been waiting her whole life to hear.

"Misty Waterflower…_will you marry me_?"

**###**

_I knew that we belonged together__,__  
Long before I knew your name__.__  
And the only thing I longed for__,__  
Was a sign to prove you felt the same__._

_Somehow I knew your every secret__,__  
Just by looking in your eyes__.__  
From the very moment I met you__,__  
I was thinking of the rest of our lives__._

_Just__…__say to me__…_

_I'm gonna love you__,__ 'til the end of time__,__  
Somehow two hearts have made a friend of time__,__  
Eternity, eternity__,_

_Is on our side__._

_I'm not afraid to say forever__,__  
You have made me feel so sure__.__  
'Cause I know it's everlasting__,__  
And I've never had this feeling before__._

_Keep__…__ telling me…_

_I'm gonna love you__,__ 'til the end of time__,__  
Somehow two hearts have made a friend of time__,__  
Eternity, I'll love you for__,_

_E__ternity__._

_Caught in the tide__,__  
And it brought me to you__,_

_Under a spell,__  
And now I know that dreams come true__._

_I'm gonna love you__,__ 'til the end of time__.__  
Somehow two hearts have made a friend of time__,__  
Eternity, eternity, _

_I__s on our side__._

_I'm gonna love you__,__ 'til the end of time__.__  
Somehow two hearts have made a friend of time__,__  
Eternity, eternity, _

_Is on our side (is on our side~)__._

_I'm gonna love 'til the end of time ('til the end of time~)  
Somehow two hearts have made a friend of time,  
Eternity, eternity,_

_Is on our side._

_Eternity, I'll love you for… _

_E__ternity__…_

_###_

**("Eternity" – by 'Dreams Come True', sung by Miwa Yoshida)**

**(Disney's Swan Princess OST, 1994 )**

**(End of Book I)  
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**A/N:** Book I is finally finished! It's been a long time writing, but I guess I managed to finish it in the end. I might go back to Chapter 14 now and edit a few bits here and there, as well as adding some more details to some sections.

Please leave your reviews, and take the time to read Book II, if you haven't. :)


	18. CHAPTER 1 IS NOW UPDATEDEXPANDED

Hi everyone, this is just a reminder that the first chapter of this book is now re-edited and lengthened quite significantly. Please leave your reviews for it, and keep an eye out for the next chapter of Book III. : )

-JL01


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